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?

Ok just one last post.

“Off topic, but my dog would not react to "get down" - because it's the wrong command for what you were asking. I and a lot of others that I know use "off" as get down is too close to "down" (meaning lie down).”

This is exactly my point. Not all dogs have the same commands. It’s weird to expect them to. That’s why I think it was unnecessary to issue commands to the dog, esp as a) it clearly doesn’t respond to them yet (as evidenced by the bad recall) and b) the OP was simultaneously physically restraining the dog.

The dog didn't seem to give a shit so I don't think she hurt its feelings.

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.
Now you see my dog understands a good glare better than anything! A Paddington Bear hard stare and she's thinking 'oops, I'd better look cute'

The dog didn't seem to give a shit so I don't think she hurt its feelings.

We don't know until the dog posts his AIBU, do we?

daffodil
I love dogs and actually wouldn't have minded this at all. Prob would have had a little giggle while I got hold of dogs harness and walked him back to the dog owner. Dogs do this. It wasn't his dog so you can't blame him for dogs lack of discipline and he had his hands full by the sounds of it. Trying to make a living

Not everybody 'loves dogs' and especially dont want them trying to eat thier food. Even those of us who do like dogs do not want to be jumped on by strange dogs while they try to eat our food. It could have been anyone it jumped on, a toddler, an elderly frail person?

Of course she can blame the buy for the dog running amok! It was off the lead and definately not responding to his voice. Its his respopnsibility to control the dogs in his care. Clearly he couldnt. If he cant then he shouldnt have had 7 bloody dogs should he? Trying to make a living doesnt mean he gets to go around annoying other people with his dogs. Clearly he has been told off before by harrassed and angry passers by when his dogs have annoyed them.

YADNBU - he was unprofessional and couldn't take the criticism on the chin.

I am very disappointed how people love to 'have a go' at each other in the U.K. now. The yelling at each other in the situation you described was uncalled for. It was a young dog being rambunctious and you reacted as if it were a pit bull after your throat.

Well done you handle it well. The dog could have done anything or injured someone if it got annoyed or confused. Dog walker was a dick.

I hate it when a gaggle of dogs, a herd of mice or a stampede of cats come rushing towards ones' picnic table . So annoying! :)

Willow Yawn ! The dog wasn't running amok. It was running around in the woods and just sniffed out food..they do that ! The chap prob didn't intentionally set the dog on them. It's the whole drama of it that gets me and I think the Op did 'start' it by being so bloody OTT and then screaming at the dog walker. Like I said, I would have just had a laugh about it and told the chap not to worry about it.

Herd of mice - hate that as well!

My god I would have gone mental and reported him. I don’t like dogs much these days and definately don’t want jumping all over me. I have kids and my little girl is petrified of them ( due to her aunties horrible terriers snapping in her face). This would have absolutely terrified her.
Really can’t stand people that think just because they like dogs everyone else should put up with them.

You still havent said why its ok for your dog to go running up to people, jump on them or try to steal their food? What if it had been a toddler in a buggy with food and it had jumped in the buggy onto the child and grabbed the food?
You still havent said why its ok for a dog to pester others and the 'owner' hasnt got the decency to apologise but gets sarky about their mistake?

OP clearly states that the dog was actually with the walker as they went along the path, not running in the woods sniffing out food, and it came straight over to her.
OP didnt start the shouting match the walker did by being sarcastic about op not wanting a random dog to steal her food and their inability to control the dog

Its really simple if you cannot control a dog keep it on a lead in public. Not everyone wants your freaking dog to pester them.

YANBU. Totally justified. Your friend is an un-supportive wimp. I bet she'd have been grateful for you sounding off if the dog had eaten HER picnic.

I am heartily sick of dog owners and walkers, who think dogs rule the world. Why should anyone have to put up with your disobedient dog? I bet you wouldn't like it if I came over to your picnic table, patted you on the head a few times, ate your sandwiches and walked off with your drinks. There is also a restriction on the number of dogs a dog walker is allowed in the UK - 4 dogs.

daffodil I am well aware of what dogs do, I meet other dogs and their owners all the time, I often get dogs coming up when I'm sitting with ddog having our snack-time in the woods.

Part of my reaction to this dog was my due to my concern that my dog might have a go at it because it was jumping around me and trying to grab our food. It was a young dog but not a tiny puppy - definitely old enough to be far better trained. If the walker had done what most owners do in these circs - come over to get their dog and apologise - that would have been the end of it.

Owners and pro walkers who assume the entitled attitude that everyone will find their dog adorable and brush off bad behaviour are just as bad as parents who let their dc run amok with no thought for the effect on other people.

Why the fuck do some people think other people are happy for their dogs to jump all over them. Some dog owners are absolute self entitled wankers.

i'm sick of people like you telling me my job
this tells you that where ever he plys his trade he leaves in his wake numerous angry people who have been first menaced by his out of control charges and then infuriated by his dick-ish response to their perfectly justified complaints

what a tool

@Collaron A murmuration of snakes is the worst

offtopic: whoever thought these up mental www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/99-strange-collective-animal-names

There is also a restriction on the number of dogs a dog walker is allowed in the UK - 4 dogs
are you sure about that? Does it apply to dog walkers only?
Is it even enforceable?

Allegorical One thing I can't stand is seeing kids suddenly going into panic when they see a dog. I think its very sad. And the parents people like you don't help those kids overcome their fears by going mental and calling the police just because a little dog in the woods is a bit excitable and sniffing out food. Dogs are lovely gorgeous loyal creatures and I think that children that grow up with them around and respect them are better human beings. Basicly if OP was a little less confrontational and a bit more approachable it wouldn't have been an issue.

Thanks for that Sofie, really made me laugh - An audience of Squid!

He called you a 'stupid woman' twice. He sounds like a fucking prick.

One thing I can't stand is seeing kids suddenly going into panic when they see a dog. I think its very sad

My dad wouldn't be terrified of dogs if it wasn't for wanker dog owners letting their dogs run up to him and knocking him over when he was little.

And dad of course mean Ds.

Willow Of course, it is NOT ok for dogs to jump up and if it had been a toddler or an old person then I would like to think the dog walker would have intervened and apologised. BUT this did not happen today, the dog appeared at the picnic table and was begging for food. All I am saying is that the attitude of OP was off from the start.

The dog got up on the table and tried to take food dafodil. That's not ok. Untrained uncontrolled dog and lazy dog walker who doesn't care about anyone else apart from himself.