To have ranted at this professional dog-walker?

[Collaron]

Beautiful day here today, went for a picnic and dog-walk with a friend. We were sitting at the picnic table in the woods, ddog under the table waiting for any crumbs or sneaky titbits. A dog-walker passes on the path with a flock of dogs - 7 in all - and one of them, a young spaniel runs over to our table and starts jumping around at me trying to get my sandwich. Dog walker call to the dog 'come here' but it doesn't come. I tell it sternly to 'get down!' I hate dogs jumping up but I was also worried that ddog might get defensive at it (it was obviously quite a young dog)
Dog then climbs on to the seat next to me and tries to snaffle food from the table. I get hold of the dog's harness and pull it back to the ground again saying sternly 'get down!' while glaring at the walker who is just staying put with his flock and calling out 'come here' in a lame way.

Finally the dog runs back to him and i'm turning back to my friend when the man calls out in a sarcastic tone 'okay now? Panic over is it?'
I turned back to him and said 'you should have your dog under control'.
him: He is under control!
me: You called it and it didn't come so it isn't under control is it? You shouldn't be walking so many when you can't control them.
him: oh for god's sake, i'm sick of people like you telling me my job! Your dog's perfect is it?
me: no he's not perfect but he's under control. When i call him he comes back to me!
him: (walking away, calling out) yeah, you're perfect aren't you
me: (shouting after him) you couldn't even apologise!
him: (turning back) why should I apologise? He didn't do anything you stupid woman!
me: He was jumping all over me you stupid git!
him: (walking away again) oh push off!
me: (shouting after him) I wouldn't let you walk my dog, you're not a responsible person!
him: I wouldn't accept your dog you stupid woman!
He walked away still gobbing off but I couldn't hear him any more

If he hadn't come out with the sarky comment I would have left it but I felt goaded to retaliate. Once he was gone I would have forgotten all about it but friend went very quiet and said she wanted to get back home. I apologised for the shouting and she said she was embarrassed and perhaps I had 'anger issues'.

Actually I do have anger issues but in this case I think I was justified?

Good grief what a dick!
I think I would have shouted too OP.

Sorry I can't get over "flock of dogs"...not helpful I know

Dog walker should have had control of the dog, little or not. Does your friend dislike confrontation?

God I would have shouted too.

From your version of events, you weren't unreasonable and he was a dick.

But the fact that your friend - who is clearly biased in your favour - was embarrassed by your behaviour and suggested you had anger issues... yeah, I'm betting your version isn't 100% accurate.

Yanbu.
We have had two similar incidents to this and it drives me to fury!

My friends dog was injured and had serious vet fees thanks to an irresponsible dog walker.

He had no idea what you were eating, could have been a chocolate spread sandwich with chunks of dark chocolate. Very irresponsible.

You were justified. He was completely out of order.

If he's going to attempt to walk 7 dogs at once they should ALL be on leads.
You can't rely on recall alone with such a "flock"

Absolutely hate when people interpret “get down” (off me, off the seat, away from food) as you panicking. Under control dogs do not attempt to steal food. Drives me mad when people encourage my lab to be naughty, it’s taking all his willpower to stay away from the dam bbq!
I find it hard to believe anyone can control dogs, even on a lead.

OP, you were justified. The dog walker sounds dangerous. Not only could he not control the dogs, but he wouldn't take responsibility and admit that this younger dog was out of control.

I guess he was a dick, but you acted like someone who really doesn’t like dogs. Clearly you aren’t as you have one of your own, but was it really that big a deal that a puppy hopped to next to you?

If I were your friend, it wouldn’t be the way you treated the guy, but the way you treated the dog that would freak me out.

MeMyShelfandIkea she's a very quiet person so I think would avoid confrontation. I have a tendency to go head-on!

Unless your friend is happy to have strange dogs jumping all over her and trying to steal her food then you were perfectly reasonable to tell the ignorant sod to control his dog. What did she expect, you would just put up with it?

These idiots give responsible owners and dog walkers a bad name.

DeadGood - I love dogs! I can't stand irresponsible owners

but the way you treated the dog that would freak me out.

Gripping its harness and pulling it down off the seat?
What should she have done? Asked it nicely to remove itself from the seat?

Unfortunately in both places where I have lived recently dog walkers have a bad reputation for exactly this sort of thing - and not picking up poo. He sounded quite rude, did you see his van some of them have a name and number on. Does your area licence dog walkers, in some places they have a limit on the numbers they are licensed for and supposed to have insurance.

Where we used to live there was no licensing and the dogs were just shoved in a van and allowed to run everywhere, no poo picking and it is mainly a cash in hand operation often run there by recent immigrants who did not seem bothered by their charges. One walker lost one over a cliff and it died.

If you don’t have time to walk your own dog - don’t get one!

Sounds like maybe your friend could do with some of your assertiveness and you could do with some of her possible doormat tendencies calm?

YANBU.

next time bite your tongue and just film him & threaten to report him

these 'flocks' of dogs are a menace!

Actually DeadGood I think you are illustrating the problem - clearly this man is used to other dog-owners just indulgently brushing that type of thing off, I generally do if it's just a normal dog-walker with their own dog but really it's not acceptable and for someone who does it for a living it's completely out of order. It was his behaviour rather than the dog's that really got my back up.

I am sure you love dogs. But like I said, you acted like someone who doesn’t. A friendly dog approached you, you reacted harshly, grabbed it and spoke sternly to it. It just seems so unnecessary and uptight. If it’s a puppy then it won’t be as well-trained as an older dog.
I agree that he should’ve had the puppy on a lead or be walking less dogs at a time. But if I’d seen your bad-tempered reaction to the dog from the dog-walker’s POV I’d be pretty as well.

Yadnbu, how did he know that your dog wasn't an assistance dog and you or your friend was actually afraid of dogs.
What a twat!

I don't want to be approached by dogs, friendly or unfriendly, if people insist on indulging themselves with these 'living toys' that's up to them but I don't want to be inconvenienced by them

DeadGood -

for all you know this could've been a huge Great Dane puppy!
Would you like a strange dog jumping up onto your chair and trying to steal your food?
On top of that, the op was concerned that her own well behaved dog might actually snap at it out of protectiveness.

Dogs jumping up at strangers is not ok FULLSTOP.

willow this is how the OP describes it “I get hold of the dog's harness and pull it back to the ground again saying sternly 'get down!' while glaring at the walker”

It just sounds too harsh to me, especially the “get down!” which she has no reason to believe the dog would understand. I’d hold the harness sure but I wouldn’t be speaking to the dog at all, sternly or otherwise, and I wouldn’t be glaring.

I agree the dog walker had too many dogs and didn’t have control but it just all sounds like a big overreaction over a non-event to me.

I think you’ll find the collective noun is a pack.

Dog Pack Walker is a total dick.