Why so nasty?

[Greydog]

Just come back from a walk with the hound. We went onto the common near us, a place I normally avoid, and a few minutes later a man, pushing a baby in a buggy, and an off lead lab came on. Houndie is on the lead, and she is scared of other dogs, so when this thing came bounding up, I asked if he could call it back, and he told me "his dog was fine" I said mine was a rescue, and was nervous,so could he call his back, and he went off on one - "you should train your dog better, I'm on the common, my dogs fine" etc. I replied that I only asked him to call his dog, as mine doesn't like them sniffing round her - "Sneaking round, sneaking round - what are you talking about - train your bloody dog" he shouted - "It's a common" - so I pointed out that I had said sniffing, and that the law requires dogs to be under control at all times, and was it necessary for him to be unkind, when I had only asked him to call his dog back to him? he carried on muttering about my poorly trained dog (on the lead all the time, and minding her own business) We waited for him to go on his merry way, and went home. I feel a bit shaky now, and I really don't know why people have to be so horrid. I only went that way to avoid having to walk along the rain sodden round. Next time I'll take my chances with the cars

[DiamondInTheRuff]

Sadly some people are idiots. I have a rescue and when she first came to us she would snap if dogs got into her face. She was always under control, inevitably the other dogs weren't. She never made contact, only air snapped, but the number of people who gave me a mouthful!

[Jeremysfavouriteaunt]

What a dickhead, he probably wouldn't even consider putting the effort in to a rescue. Don't let him in to your head anymore

[MyKingdomForBrie]

Some people are genuinely just horrible for no reason. It's really upsetting to encounter but just have a cup of tea and you'll feel better the further away it gets.

[trevortrevorslatterfry]

What a dick. My dogs love to go and "say hello" to other dogs but if I spot one on the lead, I assume it's for a reason and put mine on the lead / turn and walk the other way.

He was just a bellend OP please don't change your dog-walking routine because of one idiot.

[georgedawes]

The people with the worst behaved dogs are always the rudest! I once asked someone to recall their dog who was bothering my on lead dog. She was having a phantom pregnancy and I was worried she'd kick off, we were also on a road so no expectation that there would be any off lead dogs either. I got a right earful!

I think it's embarrassment that they aren't actually able to recall their dog.

[NeedACleverNN]

Some people just don't care. Believe they have the right and you don't.

I always let my dogs off lead but the second I saw one on a lead, they went straight back on.

The funniest one for me was when I walking my mums poodle crossbreed. She was a small little fluffy thing that everyone thought she looked sweet but she hated other dogs

We went walking and a man was walking a lab off the lead. The lab started to walk towards us, so I shouted ahead and said "you night want to put him on a lead. She is dog aggressive"

He looked at my mums dog, laughed and said "ah she's too small to do any damage. Besides he could do with some manners being knocked into him"

After 5 mins of my mums dog going for the lab, his eyebrows nearly hit the clouds and he suddenly grabbed his dog, put it on a lead and walked away as fast as he could

[MrsJayy]

This happened to Dd yesterday some jack russel was at jaydog who isnt the friendliest Dd asked owner to get the dog but apparently his dog needed to learn to leave dogs alone some owners are just twats im sorry that happened to you

[MrsJayy]

Oh and if Dd let jaydog off lead he would cope better according to mr jack russel

[VioletBam]

He was a tit. My big dog loves all other dogs but I would NEVER let him approach a dog on a lead because of exactly this!

When he was younger, I lost control of him and he bounded up to a man with his spaniel on a lead and I was like Flo Jo! I almost killed myself getting to my dog before he got to that spaniel!

Forget the twunt.

[MrsJayy]

Nobody questions dh when he asks for folk to recall their dogs always dds the are young women and are always being spoken to like little girls if they ask owners to get their dogs

[WannaBe]

The assumption should always be that if the dog is on a lead it is on a lead for a reason.

TBH I wouldn't have tried to reason with him I would just have said "well I did warn you. So if your dog gets bitten it is nobody's fault but yours."

Some people just fail to see reason. TBH I (and numerous others) had this debate with a guide dog owner on a FB group I am on recently. She was upset because she had been asked to recall her dog who she was allowing to run free in a field of cows and which was running up to other on-lead dogs. She couldn't understand why members of the public were telling her her dog should be on a lead as "he is so friendly and just likes to run up to say hello."

[Wyldfyre]

I'm going to play devils advocate on the "friendly" dogs owners.
DF's boy is notorious for running up and barking at other dogs to "say hello". There isn't a bad bone in his body but he has ZERO manners. 99% pelf the time he is out on a lead of we spot another dog. However in that 1% he sees it before we do and no amount of shouting will get him back until after he's said hello (we are working at that).
He's had dogs snap it him and the owner has apologised to me My usual response is "don't worry, he needs to learn some manners". I say it because it's the truth and because it's my fault, not theirs. Not because I'm excusing his behaviour.

Conversely my girl is a nervous dog. She is very rarely on leads for two reasons. Firstly she has been jumped on several times, and if she can move away she is less likely to snap and end up in a fight. Again some dog owners think it's perfectly all right to allow their dogs to do so - despite the fact I'm sure they'd object of some stranger jumped on their back.

Secondly her heel is like Velcro - she's literally inches from me.

She was once attacked while at close heel and left needing stitches.
The dog was an Akita on an extending lead (which is about as safe as smoking in a fireworks factory IMO). It lunged at her and pulled the lead right out of the reel - and yet the owner had the cheek to say mine was the dog out of control (his logic was she was off lead and his was on). I was left with a vets bill and a dog who was even more nervous than before.

As George said it's the crap owners who are convinced that they are perfect.

[Greydog]

Thanks, everyone, for your kind words. I was so fed up with this chap. I would have understood if I'd been rude to him. Never mind - he was probably cross that he was pushing a Barbie pink buggy, and my speaking to him was to last straw!

[georgedawes]

Wyld I too have a dog who thinks it is her personal mission to greet every other dog and person within a mile radius, so completely get it. It's not dogs approaching that wind me up, it's idiot owners who I bet are also the ones that don't clear up their dog's shitty either!

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

My dog is incredibly dog focused at the moment. He's an 18 month old lab so he's full of hormones. He's big, he's black and he's got a bark like a foghorn and probably looks quite scary. So I make sure that if we see another dog coming I put him straight on the lead because although he has a good recall, he has to shoot off and say hello first. He has spotted other people coming before me a couple of times and I've had to retrieve him but thankfully it wasn't a problem. I've never met anyone as entitled and rude as the bloke you got tonight either. He was obviously embarrassed and a bit ignorant.

[ImBrian]

The man sounds like a tool! If I see another dog and it's on a lead my dog goes on a lead as he gets very bouncy and wants to play no matter what the opinion of the other dog is.

[Greyhorses]

I get this all the time. Ive started giving one warning that my dog will bite and leave it at that, if their dog is bitten its them who would be at fault in the eyes of the law as my dog is on lead. My poor dog is terrified of strangers and other dogs and it drives me crazy that people are so selfish and let their dogs run up to her.

Luckily she is very scary looking when she looses it and people generally move quickly. She never has hurt anything she is all mouth!

[TheGiantSausage]

He's the one with the problem, not you.
My dogs uninterested in other dogs so when she meets one she likes it's lovely... but if the other dog or owner looks uncomfortable, I lead my dog away. It's just respectful.

What breed of dog do you have? I love hounds! (Mines a half hound )

[Wolfiefan]

He's an arse. How exactly should you "train" your dog to be less nervous?

[MarcoPoloCX]

Should have said " you need to have control over your dog and that includes being able to recall away from other dogs, especially from those on a lead. You can be reported for having a dog not under control. I suggest you take your dog away now before I report you"

[Greydog]

Hi, Sausage she's a greyhound.

[Madbengalmum]

What a dick.
I Choose to keep my dog on a lead because she was attacked by a labrador off lead and very distressed by it. When i ask people to put their dog on a lead they always attack with the same old control your dog crap. It is nothing to do with control she is genuinely fearful.It infuriates me, because i have a big dog they assume the worst.
If i have ever had any aggravation it has always been from dogs off leadsand their ignorant owners.

I will be happy the day it is made law to keep your dogs on a lead in public places. For the sakes of other dog owners,runners,people with kids etc.
These people are going incredibly selfish.

[ExitPursuedByABear]

I get this all the time. If they don't call their dog back I let BastardSpaniel off the lead. That teaches em.

[Madbengalmum]

Wyldfyre, the breed of dog makes no difference.
My dog is an large breed and we are regularly bombarded by labradors and small dogs running around us barking off lead.
The problem wouldnt of happened if peoples dogs were on lead. Many dogs and not forgetting people dont like dogs running up to them.

To add when me and my dog were attacked our postman asked what had happened and before i had chance to answer he said was it a labrador? I was really surprised when he told me they had more posties attacked by labs than any other breed.

[NoncommittalToSparkleMotion]

I hate people like this.

My dog, as I've stated several times to anyone who will listen, is my beloved asshole dog. I adore her, but she hates other dogs and it makes my life hard walking her in my super friendly neighbourhood.

There once was a guy walking along a trail with his dog off leash. I started tightening my hold on Asshole Dog and the guy noticed and said, "oh don't worry, he's friendly."

I just said, "He may be, but mine isn't."

He just walked in an opposite direction. Asshole dog isn't huge by any means, but she lets you know when she's pissed.

Like, we were by a forest. Even if your dog is friendly, wild animals aren't. How is that not a consideration?