To have assumed it was common courtesy among dog walkers

[SomewhereInbetween1]

To put your dog on a lead if you see another owner do so to their dog once they've spotted you? Especially if your dog's recall is a little sketchy? I've seen a lot of owners put their dogs on the lead at the sight of other dogs because they may, for instance, not get along with other dogs. But if the other dogs are off the lead and so still able to approach the one on the lead, it entirely defeats the effort. Anyone had any experience with this?

I'm on Planet Real World, not, Planet Do What I Like.

I suspect some dog owners who don't show consideration to other dog owners are the same who don't show consideration to people using the same space.

Play, that's not a well behaved dog you have tho is it? Some of the things being said on here are a joke. Lists everyone, take your dogs to PROPER dog training!!

bigfat last week we had an issue walking down a street (ie not a park) where someone with a small dog on an extendable lead thought it was ok to let hers run over to mine despite me warning that she's not friendly (response was, oh it's ok mine is, she's only a baby), and then shriek and swear at me like a banshee when my dog snapped at hers. Is that my fault for daring to take my poor abused rescue dog for a walk at all?

Some people are just stupid twats with a huge sense of entitlement and no empathy or common sense. I do everything I can to try and ensure my dog is kept safe and others are kept safe from her, and she is in training and under a behaviourist. She's had a horrible life so far and she deserves a chance, it isn't as easy as you think to rehabilitate a dog with such severe issues, it takes time and I can't keep her indoors until she is magically 'fixed'.

Hmmm... I get fed up of owners of dogs "with issues" wanting to make their problem my problem. My puppy is always on a lead on pavements and parks where there may be children, but in well known "off lead" areas then she is always off lead. Her recall is 90% she's a pup so we are still training, but yes she does sometimes approach a dog on a lead, I don't have a problem if the dog tells her off, it helps her learn.
I do get irritated when people walk their dog on a lead in what is obviously an off lead area, it's not fair on the well socialised friendly dogs who just want to run and play.

"I asked her to please recall them and what did I get? All sorts of swear words and threats of violence. I'd say there was a correlation between her dog's behaviour and hers."

I've had abuse more than once, mine is never offlead, he's muzzled, I move way off paths to let people by and I call over to earn the owner and I'm walking in the quietest places I can find at the quietest times of day. (Or night)

Once the dog is too close to mine - I'm either busy working with my dog or once he's over threshold managing him so that he's not going to manage to muzzle punch the other dog, or whack it with a paw (he's willing to just beat them up if he can't bite) so I'm not saying anything to provoke the other owner, I'm too busy talking to my dog.

But I get abuse anyway...because you know, he should clearly spend the rest of his life inside because they can't train their dog to come back.

She has HAD proper training. Lots of proper training. If she missed the socialisation stage as a puppy (highly likely) she will NEVER be OK with other dogs.

Listen not lists!

It's the idiots who have their dogs off lead on pavements I don't get.
No dog should be off lead next to a road.
In a field fine.
On a pavement not fine.

I had a woman glare at me once, because on seeing her very large dog bounding towards mine (who was on a lead) I crossed the road to avoid confrontation
She had to grab him by the scruff of his neck at the last minute to stop him wandering into the road.
So much for perfect recall.

Ok, so you have a problem dog. Fine.

We pop our dog on a lead when others approach as we have found other dogs just do not like him. He has been attacked by 2 dogs and on another occasion chased out of the park buy another dog whose owner did not call them back.

We do not go to one of the parks now as there are a group of 'our dogs are friendly' brigade who just let their dogs run all over the field. The last straw occurred there when we had to get in, drag the another dog off ours and pick ours up - the owner did not call their dog back until I shouted over at him, his response was it was our fault as our dog was not socialised. My response was not pretty and went along the lines of - 'ours is on a lead for a reason your feckin idiot and by the looks of it so should yours!!!'

After an encounter with another dog it takes my dog around half an hour to calm down and walk sensibly again. Those of us with dogs on leads do so for a reason. So listen to us when we ask you to recall your dog.

Ah yes the 'mine is fine' brigade. Bain of my life with my old dog who has become very defensive in his old age with other dogs (fine with people). I actually have to walk him just before bed these days in all weathers at 11.30 or even midnight just to avoid you lot. What you don't seem to get is any dog is more defensive on the lead especially with an off lead dog coming near it. It upsets the equilibrium or something. So I put my dog (still got 100% recall) on the lead when you appear on the horizon but you don't and your dog is running over nearer and nearer and my dog is getting more and more wound up and at this stage he's only got fight and no flight option available to him. I shout to you to please recall your dog as mine may start fighting. But you come out with that imbecilic statement 'mine's alright'. I warn you again that if your dog gets any closer I will have no choice but to let mine off (as I don't want to lose fingers trying to separate them and also it is the only chance then of them not ending up fighting as my dog wont be restrained and super defensive) I have been told I should have my dog pts on one occasion by one such ignoramus. People should have to pass a basic test on dog behaviour before they're allowed a dog imo.

I highly recommend rossway dog training school in Bourne end, Hertfordshire. They can help ANY dog.

Bah, well I can't let my puppy off lead because of all the dogs on leads in the park. No ones a winner here.

Navy as I said she's only for lead in well known off lead , if owners take their nervous aggressive dogs to those areas then they take their chances I'm afraid.

Which is reassuring to see navy

Only off lead in well known off lead areas that was meant to say.

If I'm in a large open space with a dog on a lead please assume they're not ok with other dogs and act accordingly. Don't let your dog bound over then get snappy when mine gets defensive.

Exactly.
I wish they would do old style public information broadcasts on tv, educating people on how to responsibly (and considerately) exercise their dogs.

"I highly recommend rossway dog training school in Bourne end, Hertfordshire. They can help ANY dog."

Great - get them to explain to you about how damaging it is to training for a dog to go over threshold and how far back you're putting someone else's work every time you let your dog run over to be told off.

*I don't agree that all dogs should be off the lead
*all dogs off the lead should be well trained. But people who have no tolerance for young dogs who are learning need to take a big deep breath.
Everyone has had one of those walks with a dog who is learning. If the owner is making an effort to get them back/recall them good. If not fair enough. Be annoyed. I can genuinely see both sides. I was followed for ten minutes by a young lab who was jumping up at my child. No owner in sight. I caught up with them later and had a polite word. Said it would have been very scary had I not been very confident with dogs.
The ones who swear/are rude yeah. They're dicks. I can understand why people get nervous. But all dogs need to learn and be given the opportunity to. All I'm saying is that any responsible owner lets their dogs learn. There needs to be a bit of common sense on both sides. I keep my dog at my side when we pass the dog with a muzzle and his owner holds him to the side every morning. We smile and say hi to each other. But if I see a dog with good body language/no muzzle I wouldn't automatically not let my dog go over. I do know though that if he did I can get him back straight away.