My dog and reactive dog

Agreed

It's them with an issue not you.

No wonder her dog is aggressive if her starting point is to be aggressive, it will pick up on her energy.

My dog is always off lead (except for near traffic, around livestock, and places where there is a rule about having to be on lead), and he is trained to never approach dogs on lead until I give consent. Even on narrow paths he will slow to walking speed and give a wide berth walking as far to the opposite side as he can, all automatically, I don't need to command him each time, he just knows how to behave now as it's so ingrained. Sometimes people screech at me to put my dog on a lead with no justification, because he is nowhere near their dog, isn't even looking at them. 99% apologise when I explain about his training and say how good he is to do that.

What does frustrated me is the amount of people with reactive dogs who don't manage the situation. I have had people be dragged down the road by their on lead dogs, who are pulling them trying to attack mine. Or even worse, aggressive dogs not even on a lead. Thankfully, mine are trained not to react and to deescalate instead, and will only ever fight back as a last resort (if a dog has bitten). They also look to me for instructions if they know a dog is going to kick off and aren't sure how to get out of the situation, because there is no easy escape route and their owner isn't there.

I have no problem with people with reactive dogs that are sensible and manage the situation safely. Indeed, because my dogs are/were so sensible around aggressive dogs, I was often asked for support to help them learn to be around dogs safely, which I was more than happy to do

My dog is never off lead in a public place.

I use an 8ft lead in the park and the woods/nature trails so she’s not clamped to the side of me, but I need to be sure she’s under control at all times. Mainly for her own safety as she’s reactive.

We book a secure dog field a few times a month where she can run free for 90 mins to her hearts content in a safe environment, away from other dogs and people.

Exactly.

I wouldn't even get a pet dog if I thought they couldn't ever be allowed to run & explore off the lead.

Seems cruel to me.

Dogs need to be exercised properly and that means running of the lead as well as lead walking.

Yet another entitled dog owner who thinks everyone has to play by their rules. Put your dog on a lead. You don't know if her dog has been attacked by an unleashed dog before and that's why she was pissed off with you. You've just admitted that nobody can be 100% in control of a dog, arrogance is off the chart.

us too.

I think it's responsible dog owner etiquette to put your dog on a lead as soon as you see another dog on a lead no matter how well trained your dog is. My dog has been attacked by an off lead dog and the owner was completely shocked and mortified. She said her dog had never done anything like that before but it did that day.

She was clearly stressed and behaved badly.

Yup. It would have driven my dog insane and she would have been pulling me over.

So I don’t take her to places where these sort of things would happen, sadly. I walk her early morning and late a night or take her to private bookings at a dog park.

If she knew her dog would have been driven nuts, a beach with other dogs is the wrong place to go.

There isn't around here. Keeping dogs on leads is cruel all the time and likely to cause behavioural problems

The woman's reaction gives a big clue as to why her dog is reactive.

She will have been giving terrible messages/anxiety to her dog with the shouting etc. It's not your fault @Advicewelcome10 that she is neurotic and so is her dog.

Her dog, her problem. Mine's under control, other peoples aren't my responsibility.

If I see another dog on a lead then my dog gets put on. If thy are off lead then I don't either. That's it really

As long as your dog is under control I don’t see an issue. I tend to recall mine and have them very close or put on a lead. More to keep my dog safe than anything else.

The ball chucking thing is a bit more annoying though. It will frustrate a dog on lead if your throwing a ball and it can’t run or sees another dog running. Far away that’s different but it is annoying when people do that really close and my arm nearly gets ripped out the socket.

My dog doesn't like other dogs running up to her. She'll ignore them quite happily if they ignore her - and I really appreciate that most dog owners will leash their dog when they see mine (who is always leashed).

I have a rescue that is reactive to other dogs but this wouldn't bother me as you were going away from the dog.
It only bothers me when people allow their friendly dogs to run right up to ours. Even then I'm never rude about it but it does make the walk more stressful.
He has a yellow coat that says nervous rescue. He only barks but it sounds so loud and aggressive.
We mostly walk him in very remote places or hire dog fields as we realise it's not other people's problem.
You sound very thoughtful so I wouldn't worry.

She sounds absolutely bat shit crazy !!

your dog was no where near hers

no need to leash yours or stop playing with your dog.

she needs to work on her dogs reactivity

I have a fear reactive dog. We tend not to walk where dogs are allowed off the lead.
Its not your problem that my dog has issues.

Sounds like the owner is as reactive as the dog.

If I see a dog on a lead I put mine on lead out of courtesy, because I've had reactive dogs and I know how stressful it is not knowing whether your off lead dog will stay away or is 'really friendly - he just wants to say hello!'. Yeah. Mine does not want to be hello-ed, though.

So I think you were technically reasonable but still - unreasonable.

To meet their physical and mental health needs, dogs should be trained and then allowed off lead (if it is safe to do so). You clearly know bugger all about dogs if you think they should all be on leads.

Her reaction was completely OTT. I don't think it's a good idea to throw a ball that close in the direction of an unfamiliar dog though. In an open space like a beach, if your dog can reliably not approach other dogs, I think it's fair enough to leave a big distance between you and the other dog and not leash. 15ft is on the close side and would be safer to leash at this distance imo.

I have a reactive dog and I can usually walk her past other dogs on the opposite side of the road without her barking so long as they're on a lead. If they're off lead, then that's a red rag to the bull and makes keeping her calm significantly more difficult. It's a me problem at the end of the day and I wouldn't confront another owner as it's my dog with the issue!

I have a reative border collie - and of course his love in life are balls!. However, I don't think you've done anything wrong OP. The local beach we goto is year round dog friendly, and we always come across off lead dog walkers throwing balls. I have the reactive dog and it's my responsibility to manage that. You were walking in the opposite direction, with your dog who was under your control so I don't understand what the other woman's issue was. She could have just kept walking - which is what I do!

If her dog was barking then your dog was already too close. You might think 15ft reasonable but the dog was clearly communicating that it wasn't, for them, in that situation. Throwing the ball was really ill advised at that point and would have just added fuel to the fire.

Woman was OTT and should have advocated for her dog better, by making space themselves if 15ft proximity is problematic, but you could also have shown more consideration to a dog and owner that were clearly uncomfortable (and it's great that you've acknowledged that).