Who was in the wrong here?

[Dogdaysout]

Went to a country park today with the children. Sat on the grass having a picnic, lovely weather and all great. Sat near us was a lady we had been chatting to with a young dog. The dog was very friendly both to people and other dogs and was fine off lead but it had been being a bugger recall wise. While on the lead she said it got too over excited if an off lead dog approached (as in friendly over enthusiasm) so she had short leaded it. The child with them was autistic.

Two women with two dogs came up, both off lead.
Dog one ran up to a family with a picnic and stole their food and ate some of it. Owner apologised and leaded dog for a short time but on full extender so it literally went back while on extender to someone else and did the same.
She then let it off the lead again and it immediately ran over to the first people again. Lots of very British Ohh it's fine was said but...
Women two however...
She let her dog just roam where it wanted and wasn't watching it at all. It stuck its head in prams, hassled a couple of on lead pugs who where getting riled up by it.
It approached the lady and child with the young dog who were sat on the grass. The autistic child hadn't seen it approach so jumped up. The dog growled and so the young dog jumped up to see what was happening and scratched all the child's legs.
Owner did nothing to call it back.
The young dog was diving everywhere still on short lead. Owner still didn't call it back.

Later on the owner was letting their dog run repeatedly in the water barking and going at the young swans, geese and ducklings who were distressed and scattering everywhere and had young with them. Several people were commenting.

The autistic child was quite distressed about this and shouted it was nasty to let the dog go at the birds. She also picked her own dog up and shouted to the other dog to go away and that it had already growled at her dog.

The owner laughed in her face and then commented about the child and the giddy on short lead dog and owner.

So should the woman with the very giddy dog not have been in a public park or was the other lady out of order?

Do you really have to ask?

Your post doesn't really make sense. It's very hard to work out which woman and which dog was doing what.

Sorry the dog with the autistic child only jumped up to see why the other dog was growling at the child and got very giddy and was jumping about on lead.

Everything else was the women with the other two dogs who were together.

I'm asking Lottie because the other women clearly thought they were doing no wrong at all, just laughed at the child and started making comments to another person clearly thinking they weren't in the wrong and then I have tonight seen someone who was involved post upset about it on a local social media page and been told basically they were making a fuss about nothing so I'm genuinely wondering if I'm going mad!

People should keep their dogs on leads when around other people, children and dogs. It's just bad manners to have them running up to people and stealing food. Some children, people and dogs are wary of other dogs so it's just unsociable and rude.

I'd have had to say something if the dogs were bothering the wildlife!! It's just unnecessary and downright unsociable!!!

Women with picnic stealing/harassing birds dogs were awful. I’d have bollocked them. Birds are protecting young currently and would hurt a dog, I saw a swan go for a Canada goose last week, it was terrifying! Obviously the dogs should have been on short leads.

I’m not sure I quite followed who did what however:

I would be annoyed if repeated bothered by on long lead dog, especially while eating.

I would be annoyed and concerned if strange off lead dogs approached us having a picnic.

I’d be furious if strange off lead dog stole picnic food

I’d have been volcanically angry if strange off lead dog scratched my child.

I’d have challenged anyone whose dog distresssed or attacked wildlife.

I would not have been “British” about any of the above.

In a public park, busy with families having picnics, dogs should be under close control and I say that as a dog owner.

I don’t really follow your post but anyone who has a poorly trained dog that they can’t control is an irresponsible pet owner and utter twat, x1000 if they let their dog off the lead to eat strangers picnics and growl at children.

I really don't understand people who let their dogs off lead to cause havoc in a public place.

I don't quite follow but dogs off lead should be under control (we'll all dogs obviously should be under control). She would have got short shrift from me if her dog came anywhere near my picnic. I'm a dog owner with an injured dog who gets upset if off lead dogs rush towards him (he is on lead) so doubly problematic for me

Maybe pick a different spot were therr aren't many dogs both owners in wrong if they can't keep there dogs from stealing food and jumping over people looking in prams then they should be on short leshes or not in a park were people go thats what it's for not dogs and why wasn't that wee boys mum flipping out when dog sctached her child and she laughed