To be pissed off with this dog owner?

[NaughtyBetty]

I have a 10 month old labrador who is very happy & gentle.

Today I was up at the field where I usually walk him and another dog (an un-neutered spaniel who is a bit smaller than him) came charging over and pinned him to the ground snarling, growling and nipping him then pinned him to the ground and got him round the throat. My dog was terrified and crying. I ran over and shouted at the dog and whacked it with the lead, not hard but enough to try and get him to release my dog. The owner just stood there then apologised. This dog did the same thing to him when we last saw him there and I had to shout at it that time too.

They just strolled off, didn't put him on the lead, walked around then made their back over to where I was so I left as I knew it would just happen again, aibu to be pissed off by this?

Nope. YADNBU. It's people like that that give the rest of us sensible dog owners a bad name. Tell him in no uncertain terms that his dog is not to be off lead near other dogs and certainly not until he's practised a bit of recall! What a knob.

The first time it happened he said his dog had never done anything like that before

Yanbu. What are you going to do about it?
A. When you see it running at your dog, start running towards it - no, towards it's owner, with your arms out screaming 'RAAAAAAAAAAAAHH'. The bugger will avoid you like the plague next time he sees you.
B. Carry a bucket of sloppy cow poo (or similar) with you on your walks. When the dog attacks your dog, tip the bucket all over it. The owner will not appreciate having to wash that off, and will avoid you on walks in future.
C. Tell your local dog warden, as this dog is out of control in a public area. The owner may be persuaded to keep the dog on a lead, and might even see a behaviourist to sort out the dog's aggression (you never know).
I'd like to suggest A & B, because the owner is an arse, and it would be funny to piss him off, but in the interests of effectiveness, and not being arrested/sectioned, you might want to do C.

How did you know the spaniel was unneutered?

I kow Im setting myself up for an impromptu biology lesson - but spaniels are hairy dogs .... and dogs have sheathed penises.

HollyBerryBush - the person I was walking round with said it's about time the owner got him neutered, she is often up there so I guess she's either 'seen them' or the owner has told her

YANBU. Do you have a local dog warden you could contact? Perhaps they could "stake out" the area and have a word?

x-post with MikeOxard

YANBU. I have a bastard spaniel that loathes labs with a passion. We avoid. Although he never approaches other dogs, if one bounces up to him he'd be very gobby and chase it away with lots of snapping near its face. If he attacked other dogs, he wouldn't be off lead.

Please choose MikeOxard's plan B. and report back.