Dogs should always be under close control, even if they are just being friendly?

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I'm scared of dogs. I know that's my issue and I deal with it as best I can but I don't want dogs I don't know approaching me.

Out running in the woods early this morning, most of the other people about at that time of day are either runners or dog walkers. In my hour, I had two dogs run over and slobber over my legs, one just up and put muddy paw prints all over me and another came over yapping and growling at me. Another (big one) chased & frightened me and I stood stock still praying for it to go away while it's owner called several times without success.

All of the owners, were kind of apologetic, but in aw bless, what can you do, he just wants to say hello/play kind of way.

TBH, even if I wasn't scared I wouldn't be very impressed by the slobber and paw prints.

Lots of other dogs just trotted by without giving me a second glance and several owners took hold of their dogs as they saw me approach (which I always say thank you for) so I know it's possible to stop dogs approaching me. Lots of owners seem to think it's not necessary. Is it them or me? I realise I came to no real harm. Do I just need to accept that if I go out at prime dog walking time, I'm going to get growled at, chased, slobbered over etc?

3 out of 5 dogs seems quite high.

I get disrupted by dogs far less when I'm running alone than when I'm out with my dog...I mean I occasionally have to run round them because they're dogs and don't think to move out of the way or they try to say hello but without actually jumping up or touching me, but I wouldn't count that as disrupting.

Since owning a dog I have become aware of how utterly selfish and horrid many many dog owners are.

I am at the point now where I think all dogs should be made to wear a muzzle in public and in one swoop remove all fear and trouble with dogs, and it would be very very easy then, to report dogs out without muzzles.
Think how attacks etc would fall, we would all feel safe, and those of us with little dogs, feel safe too and as far as I am aware muzzles cause dogs no harm and no trouble.

I have seen sooooooooo many dog owners with vicious breeds walking them all over without a lead, and have a sort of smirk on face whilst doing so. I think its wicked.

"muzzles cause dogs no harm and no trouble."

They interfere with training, make it very very hard to play, they interfere with communication as well as it's harder to see facial expressions.

They do stop biting, but, they hurt and leave bruises even when a dog whacks you with it by accident and I'm not sure that being pummelled by a hard object is much better than a bite for a small dog.

Also the most useful thing they do is advertise that your dog isn't approachable - which is completely lost if every dog is muzzled.

I muzzle mine because he needs to be muzzled, I absolutely wouldn't do it if his behaviour didn't warrant it.

I don't have a problem with well trained dogs who won't jump up or sniff DCs etc being off the lead.

I understand that a lot of owners are responsible but I'm not convinced that the majority of dogs are trained to this level.

Also, from my perspective every time I go to the park there is at least one dog off the lead who runs/jumps up etc etc and whose owner doesn't care (that's if they've even noticed). So while it may be a minority of owners who do this, the majority of outings are affected.

grays I do see your point.

What I didn't say is that despite my actions many dogs go on to bother me - snapping at my heels, jumping up. Where a dog should be on a lead this should not happen.

If it's an area where they are allowed to be off the lead then we are all sharing the space and have to behave accordingly, but where they are meant to be on the lead I do not want to stop running to wait for the owner to come strolling up telling me their dog is safe, won't bite and just wants to play.

On the road most dog owners are respectful and I always thank them for enabling me to go past. It's mainly off road, on tracks and paths, where probably the lead/off lead rules are not clear to all owners, where I have problems - also due to the path being more enclosed.

One of the scariest times was when I was recovering from an injury and just jogging around the park. It was dark. All of a sudden I was being chased by what looked like a ring of lights. I had NO idea what it was. Turned out to be a lit dog collar. The owners just let it run up to me - repeatedly - until I yelled at them to control their dog. This was the public park - same lead rules apply in the dark.

I don;t support widespread use of muzzles for a few reasons.

One being people see them as a be all and seem to think that wearing a muzzle fixes all problems. It can't replace adequate training and can lead to further aggression if used inappropriately. The old 'its okay he's wearing a muzzle'. They are extremely open to misuse.

Any proper dog trainer or behaviourist will tell you a muzzle should be a last resort and not the norm.

My short nose dog who finds breathing hard especially in hot weather and the breed very very prone to overheating would suffer from wearing a muzzle all the time.

Muzzling itself takes training so as to not distress the dog, a step lazy dog owners wouldn't bother to take. Overuse can lead to panic, distress and even more aggressive behaviour demonstrated. Dogs don't need their teeth to be aggressive. A dog coming at you with a muzzle on can cause damage with the actual muzzle, which can easily break your nose, bruise you...

They can be a helpful tool when used appropriately, but should never be the norm. Muzzles only mask dog aggression problems they don’t cure them and muzzling an aggressive dog is only part of the solution. It is not the cure and should not be treated as such - but it will as it will be seen as the easy option if muzzling became mandatory.

I feel so strongly about this I would move country if it came here.

tabulahrasa I run off road a lot.

I run (badly). Sometimes I see dogs. Sometimes they run up to me. I stop and pat them if they look friendly. It's nice.

tbtc I'm really sorry you've experienced that and as a responsible dog owner myself it really really annoys me because folk like that who don;'t train their dogs or take care of them really give us all a bad name.

"tabulahrasa I run off road a lot."

So do I...it just seems a lot, not in a I don't believe you way, just well, it seems a lot, lol.

But I have dogs running up to mine a lot more than other people seem to and I know absolutely if I walk him in a different area it's better.

So I assume it's the same with running - some areas are better than others for problems with dogs.

goodnessgraciousgouda There you go again treating children as if they were the equivalent of dogs. They are not. If Person X is afraid of children that is just too bad; the same is not true of Person Y who is afraid of dogs. Children are us; [pet] dogs are unnecessary.

Muzzling? If it prevents the dog biting and barking, it's good, if we have to have them in public at all, and if the dog does not like it that's just too bad too; if you'd rather not muzzle a dog then do without the dog, not the muzzle. Dogs don't matter and we can get by without them. Children do and we can't.

As for dog training areas - how is the dog going to get there? Through the streets and parks of course. No thanks.

tabulah Yes, I imagine you are right. If I think about it, the main area with problem dog owners is on the footpaths up to a mile or so outside the village, basically where people are exercising their dogs. Since I have to use those paths to get in and out of the village it's not representative of all path in all the world!

grays Thank you. It's the same with everything in life isn't it. There you are feeling bad about other dog owners when you sound like a great one and the bad ones don't give a hoot. I hope I am fair enough to treat all dog owners as I find them, but yes, my guard is usually up.

"Since I have to use those paths to get in and out of the village it's not representative of all path in all the world!"

Lol, I didn't think they would be, I was just musing really...I run in the same place with or without my dog, because it's near my house and find it odd that it's fine without him, but having a dog with you seems to mean people let their dogs bounce over even though he's muzzled and I'm actively avoiding them.

Not that it's got that much to do with anything, really...other than that some dog owners are not great.

Andrewofgg you sound hugely uptight. You need a terrier in your lap

andrew perhaps you'd like to go and live somewhere were you don't have to see these horrible blights on the human race then? Preferably on a mountain top so the rest of us don't have to listen to your miserable, ignorant whinging.

Oh don't be so bloody silly Andrew.

You don't like them? Fine. But there's no good reason why they should be banned just because of a small minority.

And I'm saying that as a non dog owner.

I'm actually a bit nervous of muzzled dogs. It always makes me wonder why they need to be muzzled.

"I'm actually a bit nervous of muzzled dogs. It always makes me wonder why they need to be muzzled."

That's a pretty common reaction, people without dogs go, oh it's got a muzzle on and move away...even though he's on a short lead and I'm never anywhere near close enough for him to touch them even if he wanted to.

The vast majority of dogs with muzzles on have them on because they're not good with other dogs, though obviously not all of them.

I have a phobia of dogs. I'm getting better with smaller dogs and I can just about bring myself to walk past a guide dog but I will go out of my way to avoid any other dog. I avoid parks or walking anywhere that isn't a pavement (like walking trails or fields). I will cross the street, enter the nearest shop, take a longer route if possible or just plain turn around before getting too near a dog and go home. I am so far unable to stop my body going into 'fight or flight' mode or in my case 'flight or stand still, tremble, go pale and cry' mode.

That being said. I don't think dogs should be banned or kept on leashes at all times. Sure, some dog breeds may be more excitable than others but the ultimate responsibility lies with the owners. There are some great dog owners out there who control their dog but there are also many who don't and they are the ones who ruin it for all. If someone cannot/will not control their dog they should not have a dog.