A friend of mine owns some land - a large, field with a small wood, leading down to a creek. Field is fenced with a locked gate, no footpaths or rights of way. Friend allows close friends/family to walk their dogs off lead there.
My dog has pretty spot on recall, but he's getting a little less patient with other dogs - 99% of the time he is fine, but he's got a bit of arthritis and he gets a bit snappy when other dogs are allowed to jump on him and hassle him, so this is a great place to walk my dog - I can let him off his lead, he goes swimming in the creek, etc, etc.
Anyway, we're out walking in the field today when I see a couple with a young child climbing over the gate. Dog and I continued walked down to the creek where we were playing - throwing his ball, he was swimming and splashing around and generally having a lovely time when from behind me the couple appear and the woman tells me that my dog is scaring her son so I needed to leave. I called dog to me, put him on his lead and indicated that they could keep walking. Woman said no, I needed to leave as her son was scared of my dog. I said that the dog was now on the lead so he would be fine. Woman then said, no, her son wanted to play where we were and I had to leave. I asked them if they had permission to be there as I'd seen them climbing the gate (friend would have given them the code for the gate padlock). The man then stated that he 'had a genuine fear that the dog would attack' so was going to report me to the police.
Dismissed it at the time as I put the dog on his lead .
However, I've been worrying about it since. If they do report me, from what I understand the offence has happened if someone has 'reasonable apprehension' my dog will attack and it's my word against theirs