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?

You.

No dog should be running up to an unknown dog that is on the lead. Its not just in case they are aggressive. My dog is a rescue, he was a bait dog, so does not like other dogs approaching him on lead. It's not through lack of training, its that having been tied up and had other dogs set on him he is understandably terrified. He has never yet been aggressive, he cowers and howls, sometimes even wets himself, I have had to physically stand in between him and dogs who approach "to say hello" because he doesn't want to say hello and I know there is a risk that his fear could become aggression should some idiot let their dog push it too far.

Then you should train your dog better or move further away.

See the message has sunk in well then

You’re being very unreasonable to still be blaming the other dog and owner.

You were totally in the wrong and your attempts of absolving yourself of blame make you even worse.

A dog that's mouth it out of control should be muzzled.

And a dog that doesn’t return when called should be on a lead.

Dog aggression and people aggression are two completely different things! My old girl is hit and miss with strange dogs, but has fabulous recall so I can keep her away. However, if she was on lead and an off-lead dog came charging up to her, she’d bite without hesitation. If she was on lead/off lead or whatever and a child came running up to her, she’d be overcome with happiness and want cuddles because she adores people, children in particular.

It’s been said a thousand times already, but you were in the wrong here 100%. If a dog is on a lead, it’s on a lead for a reason.

You say the other dog but first . Maybe you it was giving off signals telling you dog to go away which were ignored and you weren’t close enough to see it .

With our dogs if another dog is on the lead then we tend to put both ours on the lead just while we pass the other one. But the other should of had a muzzle if it doesn't like other dogs.

And Peony, you can't have met that many dogs.

Mine (young, sociable and playful) gives other dogs on lead a wide birth... does not even look at them. She is not that unusual, I know many others that do the same. A bit of training is all it takes.

Harder to train a biter out of its agression, which often times springs from deep-seated issues.

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.

This is absolute bollocks. If OP had control of her own dog none of this would have happened.

@turtle200193
Thank you for clarifying, yes maybe your right if dogs that attacked him had been better trained then his fear aggression would have never happened .
I know it's down to them as he can tolerate smaller dogs than him right in his face barking at him but anything bigger than him and they don't even need to look at him and I can feel him tense up .
To be honest he's never liked to play with other dogs much though even as a pup ,
We are just very careful with him . Mind you would rather have him that stays away from other dogs by choice rather than in every dogs face like ops .

Simple stuff OP.

Dog on lead = Under Control
Dog off lead = NOT under control

OP - AIBU? Universe YES. No I'm not!

@aaaaargghhhhelpme
Ditto x10000

You are unreasonable.
She had her dog under control you did not. You are the irresponsible owner.
I also dislike people like you.
Keep your dog on its lead.

It did make me wonder what if it had been a child?

Children shouldn't be running up to pester dogs either so that would still be their fault/the parents. If a child is't old enough to know to check with the owner first they aren't old enough to be out alone either. Plus not liking other dogs is no indication of how they are with children. If a child ran up to my boy he'd be positively delighted, he loves a fuss, especially off small children.

One more for the YABVU. My rescue Patterdale is walked muzzled AND a bright yellow lead with warnings printed down its length and STILL other dogs are allowed to approach. If you cannot recall your dog then you are not in control. My other dog is friendly and well trained but I will call her to heel and walk her past any dog I see on a lead, she is not free to approach. Both my dogs are completely different personalities but both are under control. Please respect other dog walkers who ultimately know their dog better than you do.

I discussed this at my puppy training class a few years ago - I had said that my older dog was ridiculously friendly and would run up to any dog wanting to play and surely that was ok? The trainer pointed out that while you know that your dog is friendly you have no idea about a dog on a lead and really shouldn't allow your dog to approach them, no matter how friendly you feel your dog is. And now that I have a more reactive dog I am always really nervous when dogs run up to my tibetan terrier. I don't think he will bite but he definitely growls and I'm concerned that it develops into something when I am the only one around to try to separate two dogs... Most folk seem quite aware and see my dog on a lead and will put theirs back on before they reach us. As I would do if the situation was reversed.

@Menolly
That's so sad , poor little thing .
So nice that it has a happy home with you .

@Bearlover16 would you let your child run up to a strange dog? Would you be happy if a small child ran up to your dog?

Exactly, if it had been a child and the

ughh

If it had been a child and the parent let it walk up to a dog on a lead, the owner should warn the child/parent never to do that with strange dogs.

This would be funny if it wasn't so serious. If a person runs up to you and invades your personal space, you have no idea if they are friend or foe. You may also have previous experiences where you find this threatening. Would you be wrong to react, or would the other person be wrong for their actions?

Ffs, op the other dog was on lead so under control. It did not require a muzzle. Your dog however was running free and not under any control.

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?

op is STILL blaming the other dog

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

You shouldn’t have let your dog approach it. It bit because it was threatened because you let your dog run up to it whilst it was being walked on a lead. It sounds like if you had your dog on a lead you would still be the type to let your dog walk right up to another dog instead of keeping your dog close to heel and not letting it bother other dogs

Peony, don’t be daft! ,y dog will not go up to another dog unless I release him to go and say hello, which I will not do until I’ve checked with the owner. I never have him on the lead when we’re out in the countryside, it’s called training.....