SarahStratton we also have a little dog who people swoop on and pick up for a cuddle, even while he's on the lead. They seem to come from nowhere to pick him up, usually saying something about "Look! It's the smallest dog in the world!"
He is friendly, but he's also very young and still in training, and they don't know him. He's a JRT and a lot of people have taken pains to tell us how 'nasty' JRT's are. He's sociable, but he can still be frightened or hurt. He's actually very tolerant, enjoys being petted and has never growled or snapped at anyone.
I've also been bitten by a dog when I was a child. It was a friends dog, with an ear condition that had been neglected and not treated. Dog was in pain and my friend touched his ears, he jumped forward and bit me.
We've also been out with the dogs at a national trust property which welcomes them. It's basically a massive forest with fields and a lake. It's filled with dog walkers and mountain bikers. We went for lunch and chose to sit on a wall far away from the main cafe and picnic area to keep the dogs away from people who might not like them, especially while they were eating.
A family walked the length of a field to come and sit beside us and then complain loudly that we had a dog with us, their son was frightened of them and we should move away as it wasn't the sort of place to bring a dog. It's exactly the sort of place to bring a dog. And they had no need to come near us, there were plenty of tables, benches and other bits of wall much closer to the cafe and away from dogs.
I'm not sure what the point of the thread is really. The OP went to a dog friendly beach that is advertised as a dog friendly beach, lives locally to it and so must know it is a dog friendly beach and saw some inconsiderate people, which you get everywhere. And yes, they give a bad name to the good owners and good dogs, but calling for all dogs to be banned from the beach is not the answer.
No more so than calling for all people to be banned from the beach because some people litter it. I don't want to see people leave dog poo on the beach any more than I want them to leave bottles, cans, cigarette ends, plastic bags, dirty nappies, fast food wrappers and everything else that people leave on beaches. Some of which is just as bad and just as dangerous as dog poo.
Report the owners who are not cleaning up after their dogs. Take a sneaky photo if you can, or give a description. That's what I've done to a repeat offender (owner, not dog) I've seen on our street several times now. She has a German Shepherd dog she never cleans up after and after third time I confronted her and told her I was going to report her if I saw her again. And I have reported her.
But it doesn't mean the other dog owners who walk down our street and do clean up should be banned from it, it just means this one lazy, irresponsible madam needs to up her game and take care of her dog and it's mess.
I'd like to see more bins and more wardens issuing fines to people who are irresponsible, both with dogs and litter.