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The doghouse

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Original poster

Who was in the wrong?

115 replies

loopyloulou87 · 21/07/2025 19:05

I have a 9 month old puppy, we are on holiday and there is a communal dog field for everyone to use.

I just wanted to check if it was us or the other owners that were wrong in this situation? Our dog was playing in the dog field, another dog came in while still on its lead and my puppy ran over to the other dog, I will admit that he was jumping up close to the other dogs face, the dog then told off our puppy and the owner shouted at us that we should never let a dog run over to another dog like that and that’s how dog fights happen.
My dog was just being friendly, were we in the wrong or should the other dog not have reacted like that (and the owners).

OP posts:
Ohdearwhatnow4 · 21/07/2025 19:10

I believe you were in the wrong, our dog wouldn't be friendly if a strange dog was in its face, whilst on lead . Shes fine if off lead.

LandSharksAnonymous · 21/07/2025 19:10

You were in the wrong.

Young dogs can really piss off older dogs - particularly if they haven't yet learn social niceties. You're incredibly lucky that your dog walked away unscathed - particularly given that other dog was on a lead and lots of dogs react very differently if they are 'trapped' on a lead and not able to run away. A lot of dogs would not put up with that behaviour.

If your dog has no recall than an enclosed space frequented by other dogs is a terrible place to let them off lead. Let this be a lesson: don't let your dog off lead in enclosed public spaces, or busy dog areas, until his recall improved.

Ohdearwhatnow4 · 21/07/2025 19:11

Ohdearwhatnow4 · 21/07/2025 19:10

I believe you were in the wrong, our dog wouldn't be friendly if a strange dog was in its face, whilst on lead . Shes fine if off lead.

Just to add, I wouldn't of been rude. Puppies don't always have best recall

TickyandTacky · 21/07/2025 19:12

You're in the wrong.

Greycheck · 21/07/2025 19:50

Yes as above. Never let an off lead dog approach an on lead dog and never let a dog off lead that isn't solid in it's recall.

Original poster
loopyloulou87 · 21/07/2025 19:52

Ok. That’s noted. Thank you for your replies

OP posts:
ExitPursuedByABare · 21/07/2025 19:55

Yes you were in the wrong but they could have alerted you to the fact they were entering and asked you to recall your puppy.

HardworkSendHelp · 21/07/2025 20:04

Sorry OP you are totally in the wrong. Other dogs and other people do not want your dog coming near them. It is then like a red rag to a bull saying he is just being friendly. Or saying to someone who is afraid of dogs ah he won’t touch you🙈

MathsandStats · 21/07/2025 20:06

General rule I follow is if I see another dog on lead, I immediately recall mine and put her on the lead too. You don't know anything about the other dog - they might be nervous, reactive, aggressive. Or even old. Mine is 15 now and has always been friendly to other dogs but has lost tolerance for over exuberance and will snap a warning if young ones are too over the top. I do get a bit annoyed if owners are incapable of controlling them.

Get a good training class and get your puppy's recall spot on - by 9 months I'd expect this to at least be well underway. Once your puppy will recall immediately, you can let them off the lead in places where other dogs will be.

PauliString · 21/07/2025 20:07

Don't worry. You're still working it out and learning more about dog behaviour. Call it a fortunate lesson at this point.

DaisyChain505 · 21/07/2025 20:13

You are in the wrong.

You should never let your off lead dog approach a dog that is on the lead.

I have a reactive dog who is walked on the lead and if he is approached by an off the lead dog it is a huge trigger as he feels trapped and vulnerable.

Iwontlethtesungodownonme · 21/07/2025 20:38

My dog was bitten by an off lead dog while she was on the lead. She now hates any off lead dog approaching while she is on the lead. She is scared.
Please don’t be that owner.
If you are still teaching recall and want to give your dog a little more freedom look at a long line.

HarrietSchulenberg · 21/07/2025 20:44

I'd say 50/50. You were already in the field with your off lead puppy. The other could see that when they entered, I presume. They should have asked you to recall your dog so they could come in.

BrendaSmall · 21/07/2025 20:48

You were in the wrong, your dog should have been on the lead in a public area, especially if it’s recall isn’t 100%, also if another dog is on a lead under no circumstances should you allow your dog to be off the lead. Your dog has had a lucky escape this time, next time the other dog on a lead may not be as friendly!!!

Dawntime · 21/07/2025 20:54

I’m going to go against the grain here and say the others were in the wrong. You were literally in a dog walking field, presumably designed for safely exercising dogs off lead as that is their purpose. The people entering the field should have seen there was an off lead dog in there, and given you a heads up if their dog was likely to react badly to an off lead dog approaching it. It sounds like their dog reacted in a fairly typical way to an annoying puppy, that is how puppies learn manners (you don’t describe it attacking, just telling off, which is entirely fine).

I really miss the days when most dogs were off lead in parks and on beaches from day one and learnt very quickly how to interact with other dogs by simply mixing with adult dogs. It is keeping dogs on lead the whole time, especially as puppies, and refusing to allow healthy, free interactions, that leads to so many dogs who don’t know how to behave, or overreact to other dogs. I hate seeing little puppies dragged around on lead and told off if they so much as look at another dog, because the owners believe the current fad that dogs must always be kept on lead and away from other dogs and people in case it upsets someone. And then you see that puppy as an adult dog, reacting anxiously to any dog that walks past because it never had a chance to learn social skills, and now can’t be let off lead because they can’t trust it not to react badly. And I speak as a life long dog owner and trainer who has previously had a reactive, unsocialised rescue dog, so I know how hard it can be. I live rurally, walking in woods and fields with my two, and 90% of the dogs we see are always on lead, I just feel so sorry for them. And no livestock in this area, so that’s not the reason.

And before the dog haters get all irate, I’m not saying dogs should be allowed to run amok everywhere, of course they need to be trained and controlled and kept away from eg picnic areas or play grounds. But they should also be allowed to actually be dogs, not fluffy accessories on the end of a lead.

Sasssquatch · 21/07/2025 20:55

Also on this “should the other dog not have reacted like that”

i can guarantee that very single person with a dog which may react would prefer they didn’t “react like that”. Those that do are on lead for good reason, probably a source of worry and stress for their owners, who have probably spent a lot of time and money and effort trying to get them to not react like that. People don’t choose to have a dog which reacts.

signed, owner of a reactive rescue who has repeatedly had our slow, painful, sad progress undone by exuberant off lead dogs with no recall who are just being friendly.

CyberStrider · 21/07/2025 20:56

Assuming this is a enclosed space for the use of a few holiday cottages or campsite or similar then normally people either ask if they can join. I've never seen anyone have their dog on a lead in this sort of space as generally the whole point is off lead time.

tabulahrasa · 21/07/2025 20:57

Tbh both of you were not great.

Yeah you shouldn’t let your dog run up to other dogs like that, a 9 month old is basically dog sized, but often still behaves like a puppy and other dogs often object to that.

But also, if they’re entering an enclosed space they could have given you a heads up to recall your dog in time.

tinyspiny · 21/07/2025 20:58

Your dog shouldn’t run up to other dogs if they are on a lead , people who have to keep their dogs on a lead for whatever reason are still entitled to walk in a field .

Original poster
loopyloulou87 · 21/07/2025 21:01

Sorry just to add the other dog was let off the lead and was fine afterwards. My dog ran over when they were taking the lead off.

OP posts:
ACynicalDad · 21/07/2025 21:42

If I go into a dog field, I'll check the other dogs already in there (if any) and may just walk on. That said, if my dog has no recall and I'm already in the field, I'll be watching those coming in very carefully and will keep ours on a 5m lead that I'd drop on the floor but can jump on if needed.

zerofeeling · 21/07/2025 22:11

I don't think either of you did anything terrible but I would just say be careful of your pup - it's lovely when they're so young and friendly but if they run up at the wrong dog they could get seriously injured and affected for life.

Wolfiefan · 21/07/2025 22:14

You were already in the space with your dog off lead. I would have expected them to ask before coming in or have managed their own dog better. An off lead dog shouldn’t run up to one on lead but they put their dog in that position.

DrLouiseJMoody · 22/07/2025 00:07

Learn to recall your dog, and frankly, nine months is old enough to have a basic, if at times imperfect, level of recall. At the very least, you should be able to stop it zooming across a field to harass another dog.

Owners like you are why my Border went through a fear aggressive phase and had to be managed very carefully. It's always "my dog is friendly." So what? Not every dog wants to engage with others and it's fine to just want to be left in peace.

Get a long lead, recall in the garden, house, outside, over and over and over. Mine can largely be trusted now she's older and calmer but we really could have done without ninja style planning of walks for several years just because lazy owners can't be bothered to train their dogs and think allowing them to run up to everything is sociable and wanted behaviour.

It isn't, and the rest of us have to deal with it.

EdithStourton · 22/07/2025 07:42

You should have recalled your dog... but the other owner should have given you a shout to make you aware, as young dogs can be idiotic. And they also didn't cover themselves in glory by shouting at you. They'd have done a lot better to have smoothed things over and then had a quiet chat about the risk you took in letting your dog barrel over to one on-lead - though I'd hope that someone with a dog with aggressive tendencies wouldn't be strolling into an off-lead area without making sure it was safe to do so.

Also, an older dog telling off a puppy or young dog when it gets in their face is entirely normal and helps the younger dog to learn some manners. My older dog is an absolute enforcer (on and off-lead) and will tell off rude young dogs. They understand exactly what she means and almost always come back around being very obsequious and apologetic, at which point she'll give them a polite sniff and all is then good between them.

The people I object to are the ones with mannerless dogs who let them come charging up to mine, and are then really cross when the older one imparts a swift lesson in canine manners. 'Ooh, she's a bit aggressive!' She so isn't, yours is a mannerless twonk and she's just done him a massive favour!