Who was unreasonable? Dog walking.

[Bearlover16]

Walking my dog up the field. Let him off lead for a run. He approaches another dog to say hello who was on lead. Other dog attacks my dog, bites him quite nasty on the leg. My dog retaliates. Owner rants at me that my dog should be on a lead and she's sick of people like me as her dog gets the blame being a bull terrier. I respond that surely my dog should be allowed to have a run off lead?
Who was being unreasonable? Should her dog be muzzled if it's viscous even on lead?

To the pp who disagreed, the dog was under control as it was on lead, the dog who got hurt was not under control and was running free

Well the op isn’t going to come back are they?

Hi all. Thanks for the responses and I have indeed taken note. I will be keeping mine on lead in future. However I do believe the other dog should be muzzled. I was under the impression it wasn't the first time this has happened with her. It did make me wonder what if it had been a child?

You ! The other dog was on a lead and therefore fully controlled. Fed up with irresponsible dog owners who allow their dog run uncontrolled to hassle my dog. You say your dog was just saying hello , well not all dogs want to be friends.

Peony by law if your dog does not come when called YOU are out of line. Not the dog defending itself.
As for the 'if a child approached' a parent should a) teach their child not to approach strange dogs and b) be able to grab/call back their child the same as they should a dog! It is not difficult to teach a child to ask first - and if you can't recall your dog keep it on a damn lead

Would you allow your child to run up to a dog?

Stop blaming the other dog , it was your fault allowing your dog to roam free .

@poppy123
I never said the only reason dogs are aggressive is due to training - but it is a reason. I’m sure your dog is lovely, and well trained... but unfortunately if the owners of the alsatians that attacked them had taken enough care to train them properly around other dogs, or put a muzzle on them then it wouldn’t have happened!
Likewise, I think do think it’s important to react to different owners according to the situation - I don’t mind my dog around others but if I see that the other owners might be uncomfortable - I always call him back to me.

You. Your dog should be on the lead. Hers was under control. Although I would argue -both dogs have shown themselves to be 'biters' and both should be muzzled from now on as well.

I actually completely disagree. I have never met a dog in my life that stays away from another dog if it's on lead regardless of recall. A dog's natural instinct is to approach another dog.

strange comment.
I have a spaniel, he is 80% of time, completely uninterested in other dogs. He doesn't go over to them if they are slightly off his path, and mostly trots past ignoring them is they are on the same path.
And most dogs and owners I see can easily call their dog back, when they meet another dog, totally normal.
I call him back to me, so that we walk past with him close to me, but most of the time it isn't needed as he is not interested.
Dogs are not interesting.

Now, if it is bird, or a squirrel, then he is blooming pain in the neck and all recall goes to the wind

Unless the dog is aggressive to people then no it shouldn't be muzzled. It was on its leading minding its own business.

My dog hates other dogs due to having been attacked by a boxer.

He loves children. So do fuck off with your 'What if it had been a child'

Nobody has mentioned the human being on the other end of that dog’s lead. OP, your dog should not be barrelling up to strangers, whether they have dogs or not. You walk around with a loose dog with poor recall and say ‘what if my dog was a child?’. And if the stranger approached by your dog was a child and scared of dogs? This from a dog lover with 7, yes 7 dogs. You can’t just let the dog go up to people you don’t know.

Yes a dog that aggressive should be muzzled. My dog did not bite first, it simply approached it. Dogs do this. My dog probably would have done the same if we passed it on the lead (unless she moved away) A dog that's mouth it out of control should be muzzled.

Well as a parent I always taught my kids not to approach strange dogs without permission. And if my kid barrelled up to a strange dog and was bitten I’d blame my kid/myself.

dogs are such a pain in the arse for everyone arent they

Hi OP, I have been on either end of this situation and have taken some lessons away:

1 If your dog is a biter, then it's not enough to just have him on a lead. He needs to be muzzled too. The reasons for this are obvious.

2 Your dog does need to come back to you when you come across another dog on lead. The reason for this you have now learned first hand.

It seems a shame when all you want to do is let your exhuberant, friendly dog run about the fields. But, a bit of work on your recall and there is no reason why you couldn't continue letting him run free. He will have had a bit of a fright too and may decide in future that other dogs on lead are bad news.

I have never met a dog in my life that stays away from another dog if it's on lead regardless of recall

Then you’ve only met very badly trained dogs. A dog that doesn’t come back when it’s called because there is another dog nearby is a dog whose owners have failed in their duty to train it.

BUT if a child had gone up to it and been bit people here would have different reactions when in reality a child is so much easier to control.

In what world do you expect a young child to be easier to control than a dog? My best friend’s dog (which is a bull breed) has never even once failed to return to her upon her first call. I can’t say the same for her 2 year old son.

Dogs are incredibly trainable and should be taught properly from as young an age as possible how to follow essential commands. If you can’t or won’t put this training in, your dog should be on a leash.

Stop excusing lazy dog owners who are too irresponsible to train their dogs properly or manage their behaviour because you think it’s just how dogs are

Oh Jesus Christ, this is why they need to bring back the dog licence, and preferably some sort of testing before anyone can become a dog owner. My dog hasn't got great recall yet, so she is put back on the lead when there is a leaded dog anywhere in sight, or left on lead when I can't police that confidently. She HATES being on lead if any other dogs are on lead, she feels threatens and acts aggressive, it would be much easier to allow her offlead where she is happier and a big softie, but because her recall isn't 100% it's not a risk I will take.
People keep their dogs on lead for reasons (in parks etc. FTR I think all dogs ought to be leaded in residential and commercial areas, regardless of their abilities), I would never allow mine (or my children) to just wander up to one.

This post makes me very angry .
My dog does not like other dogs , is not interested in them and does not want other dogs off their lead bounding up to her . It makes her nervous and sometimes bark at them to back off . You were totally at fault , stop making excuses .

You are, if you can't control your dog ie walk at heel then keep it on a lead

Why were muzzles invented?! Threads like this make me wonder. You'd think they hurt dogs or something. It's a tool to prevent your dog from biting. Lots of people should be using them on their dogs by the sounds of it.

@Bearlover16 If the dog has bitten previously I'd be considering a civil case against the owner. Surely must be liable for damages as simply just having the dog on the lead hasn't meant it was fully under control.
Walking it in a public area unmuzzled, knowing it has bite history is negligent.

I also think there's always a risk of the lead being dropped, snapping, collar breaking...what then?!

My dog did not bite first, it simply approached it. Dogs do this. My dog probably would have done the same if we passed it on the lead

Well don’t fucking let it approach dogs on leads in future!

Jesus Bearlover!!! Some dog owners shouldn't be allowed out on public, never mind their dogs. Your dog wouldn't have got bitten if you'd not let it run up to the other dog. Work it out!!!

OP if your dog was under control the other dog wouldn't have needed to bite your dog in the first place.

I always put my dog on the lead when I see another dog whether it's on the lead or not. I don't know whether it's aggressive or not and don't want to take any chances that my dog might get attacked.

You were to blame for this. Nobody else.
In future just put your dog in its lead the second you see another dog.