To expect a woman with 2 dogs and a toddler to have the dogs on a lead or not walk them together?

[Toot]

Just back from dog walk with my 2 dogs and husband. We keep them on leads as they don't really come back to us when they don't want to. We were jumped on by an angry dog (mut probably) a sniffy dog (staffy definately) and a frantic owner trying to get them under control. I didn't help as I shouted very loudly at the dogs to shoo and go away (which worked with the sniffy dog). She eventually got the angry dog on a lead and I told her crossly that she should have them on leads if they were disobedient and " a wee bit angry" which is how she warned us of the angry dog as it bounded over to us initially. She went mental and shouted back at me that she was allowed to walk them off the lead. Hearing my English accent she informed me the law was different here in Scotland so I knew nothing. I told her I was a Scottish J.P and that she should have the dogs under control but by this time she was walking away and mumbling. On the return route we met the bloody dogs again. This time from a distance I shouted to her to get the dogs on a lead so we could come through. To give her her due she did. I said this was a better more reasonable situation as we were all being responsible now haveing our dogs under control. She was still a bit mental with me as the child (about 3 I's guess) was now crying and the woman blamed me !! I shouted back that it wasn't me walking two uncontrollable dogs off lead with a toddler in tow and the childs state was down to her. She called me stupid and I responded by calling her irresponsible - all very mature. Shaking now, keep thinking what might have happened if the dogs had kept fighting and I was holding mine back by having it on a lead.

[attheendoftheday]

You sound as bad as each other tbh. A bit of tolerance and civility all round would have helped.

[Flojo1979]

YANBU, it is the woman's responsibility to control her dogs surely?

[WildWorld2004]

YANBU. I think all dogs should be on leads.

[WelshMaenad]

YANBU. If she cannot trust her dogs, they should be on a lead. If she cannot manage them on a lead with a toddler in tow she shouldn't be taking them all out together.

I was involved in a situation a few weeks ago where two aggressive dogs were loose and attacked an elderly little terrier. If myself and several others had not stopped to help and called the police, the little dog would have been killed.

Irresponsible dog owner boil my piss. Hope you're ok.

[MoelFammau]

I do think dogs should be on leads generally.

However.... my own dog is rarely on a lead. The reason is that she spent 5 years chained outside being beaten and whipped. She panics when tied. Unleashed she is a happy relaxed dog.

Nothing is ever black and white.

[socharlotte]

Just a piece of advice about the way people react. If you tell people off like naughty children, then you give them no face-saving way out, and you get these angry immature confrontations. To be honest she was 'frantically trying to get them under control' you must have come across as 'captain obvious'

[degutastic]

YANBU, it drives me insane when people allow their disobedient dogs to approach people's under control / leashed dogs. My own dog is always off the lead, but his recall is good and he is called back before we approach other dogs on leads. Nothing worse than having your dog attacked on a lead - your dog is at a disadvantage by being restrained, often insecure / feeling defensive of owner, and you personally are stuck in the middle of a potential fight. Great fun

The law is that dogs must be under control - either leashed or trained to recall properly. It's not hard to understand, either train it or leash it

[missymoomoomee]

Although SWBU to not have the dogs on a lead, if I was in a situation, did something wrong and then some random started shouting at me after I had the situation under control I would have reacted just like her, and if the same random then went on to lecture me later, falling just short of saying 'good girl' and patting me on the head I would be fucking livid. You sound like a bit patronising and very childish imo.

[Toot]

Thanks all. couldn't come back on yesterday as we noticed our older dog actually has a neck wound we didn't see while in the woods :-( The angry dog was repeatedly going for both our dogs throats but in all the noise and mud we didn't actually know it had done damageThe vet cleaned him up and said he'd be very concerned about a dog like the angry dog being off lead anywhere or being around a small child.

[messtins]

Hope your dog is ok. Completely reasonable to expect dogs to be under control, that means either with solid recall or on a lead, and any dog with an angry attitude should not be allowed to approach other dogs. You'll be presenting her with your vet bill next time you see her?

[Birdsgottafly]

I agree that if her dog has aggressive tendencies then it should be kept under strict control.

If you said what you have written, you would have appeared patronising, tbh and that is why you have got the response that you did.

Shouting never helps around dogs, it heightens and adds to their aggression.

[CailinDana]

Arf at "Captain Obvious"

YANBU at all. I am shit sick of trying to go for a walk and being accosted by dogs, to the extent where once I wasn't bothered about dogs and now I hate the bloody things. It's not their fault, it's their stupid owners. If another woman (and it always seems to be a woman) says "Oh he's fine, he's friendly" as their smelly mutt jumps all over me I think I'll explode.

[Kalisi]

Yanbu! If your dogs are out of control, the least you should expect is for someone to be a bit rude to you. Hopefully she'll put them on a lead next time. I hope your dog is ok, you did nothing wrong.

[WelshMaenad]

I'd have been more than fucking patronising. The silly bint's fog nearly attacked, and she decides to let it back off the lead until she gets shouted at again? I'd have flat out t

[WelshMaenad]

Grr. I'd have flat out told her she was a twat. Inflammatory or no.