Slight confrontation with dog owner today

[ReecesPeaces]

DH and I do not own a dog but every couple of weeks we will take a friend's dog for a walk in the local countryside. She is a gorgeous, gentle dog and very well trained. A small cockapoo. The owners encourage us to let her off the lead when she is out and away from roads etc and most of the other local dog owners do the same.

Today we were walking through the countryside area and there were plenty of other people there, most had dogs and most dogs were off the lead. The dog we walk generally approaches other dogs her size in a friendly playful way and shies away from bigger dogs, she usually jumps up at me of a big dog comes near and I scoop her up and we carry on. Anyway we saw a woman with four dogs approaching, three small ones and one rottweiler. I was wary of the rottweiler as a family member used to have one which was very aggressive. All of this woman's dogs were off the lead.

Before I could get our dog on the lead she ran up to the smaller ones who started growling and chasing her aggressively. All four dogs then started chasing ours round and round, the Rottweiler wasn't being aggressive but two of the smaller ones were and trying to bite our dog (at this point the owner of he other dogs was going "it's fine it's fine) who ran up to me and thankfully I managed to pick her up and the other dogs then lost interest.

The owner started shouting at me and DH slightly aggressively saying "I said it was fine!" We hadn't said anything at all at this point we had just been calling our dog to us. The owner was angry we had picked ours up and kept saying "I told you it was fine! That's the worst thing you can do to pick a dog up in that situation, I'm an expert!" We walked away as I just wanted to get away from her and thought she was being confrontational.

Is this the norm for dog walking in public spaces or was this woman in the wrong? It puts me off getting a dog permanently as there was a moment when I really felt something awful could have happened.

There's a lot of dear of big dogs on this thread. In my experience it's the small dogs that have an unprovoked go at my big, friendly dog.

A lot of fear of big dogs ...

I disagree that picking up a dog is bad. We often have to pick ours up when large unleashed dogs come bounding over. We do that to protect our dogs, and we don't engage in conversation, but just walk swiftly on. If their dog follows us, as is often the case, it's up to their owner to call it back. Dogs in public spaces, should be leashed. It's the law.

Not in the U.K. Lady.
By picking up your dog you put it and you at more risk.

"There's a lot of dear of big dogs on this thread. In my experience it's the small dogs that have an unprovoked go at my big, friendly dog."

While I agree that small dogs can be wankers, of course people are more scared of big dogs because they can do more damage. If a chihuahua attacked my dog, a swift boot is going to get rid of it. Not so much if a Great Dane or a Rottweiler attacked.

I have had big dogs, but there are so many terrible owners that I am generally fearful of ANY unknown dogs. Maybe fearful is the wrong word, but I'm wary.

There are a lot of dog owners who don’t know the basics and I’m afraid I think the OP is one. My dog will chase if another dog comes bounding up to him, which is why I put him on the lead when we see other dogs it drives me nuts the number of owners who continue to allow their dog to run up. I don’t care if it’s a friendly little thing, if it can’t walk to heel without a lead then clip it on. It’s not fair on my dog who will react and then be told off.

Don’t pick dogs up in that situation. I see it happen so often where my friendly little dogs have approached another dog, for the owner to then scoop them up for some bizarre reason. If the dog was aggressive, he could have harmed you trying to reach the dog you’re holding.

Dogs naturally want to say hello to each other and your dog isn’t aggressive so there is no need for her to need to be on a leash. However in this situation it sounds like the woman should have had HER dogs on leads if that’s how they react to dogs that aren’t in their pack.

"Dogs naturally want to say hello to each other "

Do they? I don't find this to be true in at least 50% of dogs.

Please don’t let your ‘friendly’ dog just run up to other dogs!

My boy is always on lead and terrified of other dogs. I’m so fucking sick of irresponsible dog owners letting their off lead dogs harass him.

The amount of times they yell, it’s fine he’s friendly at us I don’t give a crap if he’s the friendliest dog on the planet, my boy is practically falling over he’s so terrified.

And yes I do try and take him to quiet places where our chance of encountering other dogs is slimmer.

Dogs in public spaces, should be leashed. It's the law.

What country are you in @LadyKalila ??

This is not true in the UK

Ffs bold fail

In near 14 yrs of owning my Staffie she was always on the lead and always under control. But because she was a staffie other owners crossed the road to stay away from her as they had an idea as a staffie she would would start attacking their dog in a heart beat. The fact was she was always on the lead always under control and unless the other dog had a go she was always friendly. The only trouble was other dogs off lead not under control and behaving aggressively. It all comes down the the owner as a dog is not a machine and behaviour is changed in a split second. I read the paper yesterday and there was a dog on a beach off lead totally out of control attacking a pony in a group and a 9 year old girl fell off someone else came and got the dog on a lead, apparently the owner didn't want to spoil his new trainers not the Dogs fault I feel but the idiot that doesn't know his own dog.

What a horrible situation, but I'm afraid that if you can't stop her running up to other dogs keep her on a lead.

If the rotty had attacked it could easily have been fatal, it's just not worth the risk.

I'm going to pick up my fucking 17 year old dog. Some woman tried to tell me "you shouldnt pick him up!" when hers, triple his heigjt and weight, was yapping
at mine a few years ago. You can't control your fucking animal, I'll take the bites myself.

I'm not suggesting that rotties are aggressive by the way, just that big dog vs little dog can have dire consequences.

No problem with people pick their dogs up, I wish more owners would before they charge at my pack of on lead, muzzled big dogs.

It's the people who ignore shit behaviour by their ddogs that are the worst offenders imo.

Certainly not all ddogs do actually want to interact/greet/play.

Picking up your ddog though, will actually create a problem in the ddog picked up and can certainly heighten the excitement in pursuer ddogs.

In OP situation, I would have expected the pack owner to call her ddogs off immediately they started noisy pursuit and obvious fear in OPs ddog, and them to respond immediately, if they don't respond immediately she has the issue, and can be reported for having ddogs out of control.

Should never get to the point of having pick up ddog, which often escalates excited aggression.

Mine have been attacked by smaller ddogs and defend themselves very noisily,but are not biters, but its always the big ones that get the blame because others are more fearful of them, but stats do not bear this out.

It's so sad that some aggressive types gives some breeds a very bad name, and that includes the likes of staffies. By far the worst I've come across and feel most worried about are jrt's.

It is though your own responsibility to call your own ddog back, swiftly.

I would have been shouting at the pack walker if she didn't react immediately, she has no right to start kicking off at you.

We own a very badly abused rescue lurched (beaten to within an inch of his life, one ear and has dog bites scars all over him) understandably he is nervous around other dogs, but is one of the most gentle dogs we have ever owned. He just wants to be loved.

Despite us buying a “we need space vest” we still get dogs run up to him and attempt to play or sniff him. He will growl to warn them
And if they carry on will begin to bark. And yet dog owners still say “oh he’s friendly”.

I am sick to the back teeth of this, we walk him at quiet times and in quiet areas and yet this still happens.

If you can’t control a dog you shouldn’t own one in my opinion. Completely agree that you should be made to do a test for a licence before owning a dog. Too many idiots have them these days and let them run wild.

God that's sad cupcakes . Really sorry.

Your ddog is ace to stand its ground and tell others to steer clear! Good for him that he still can do this despite everything.

I would shout my ddogs back immediately if I noticed them ignoring warnings to steer clear!

If you can't stop the dog running over to others then keep it on a lead.

I'm sick of watching idiot dog owners stand there when their dogs sprint over to mine. My dog is the friendliest dog ever but he's growled twice now when an over-friendly dog has ran over and not left him alone. I'm not surprised this ended how it did.

@cupcakesandcastles sound like my boy, badly abused greyhound. Some owners are so inconsiderate.

I once had a bloke (wonder if it was the same one) who yelled at me for picking my dog up. She has epilepsy & has fits if she gets over excited. She was on the lead, his dog (huge) wasn’t. She looked like she was about to go for him. I picked her up, she calmed instantly. He was nowhere near enough his fucking dog & it wasn’t coming back when he called it and yet he had the nerve to lecture me about picking dogs up. He obviously wouldn’t have a clue about the epilepsy & I didn’t want to get into it but just shows people should mind their own business.

Fuck him, OP

I don't see the issue though of ddogs being keen to greet other ddogs, so long as they take the hint when told to fuck off by said dog!

smother

Because why should my dog have to be the one to say fuck off?

He could potentially enjoy playing with other dogs if they approached in a proper way.

It’s like saying ‘well what’s wrong with men groping women, as long as they fuck off when told.’

@Assburgers, unlikely to be the same man since OP is talking about a woman.

Well, no, its no like that is it...the dogs in question were not sexually assaulting the other were they. I think that's a bit of an extreme comparison, but I hear you are angry about it and I feel for your ddog, but it does sound like your ddog, despite everything is handling himself well.

I think it can be a bit too extreme. I take my ddogs out to run, as do others and the ddogs run, altogether or mooch about and sniff and might run passed another ddog.

Live n let live. Your ddog is doing well and doesn't sound like it needs defending as its happily doing that itself.