Another dog off lead one - help me see another perspective

[Getyerdogonalead]

Sorry it’s a long one! I’m ranting and need perspective. I,m still shaken up. Just had an incident when walking DDog (a rescue Staffy - she’s a bit iffy with other dogs. She doesn’t like dogs who are over excitable or unsocialised - she will give a back off warning through growling or snarling, we are working with her on her socialisation but she’s always on a lead and has never attacked a dog but might defend herself if attacked).

A bloke was walking his 6 month old German shepherd dog off lead, playing with a ball as we were walking past. His dog went for mine and it didn’t look like it was “playing” as he was claiming. Same dog also went for my dog the other day when DH walked her but I wasn’t present for that. DH said it also wasn’t “playing”.

The bloke couldn’t control his dog or get it back so he ran after it while it was running after mine. I tried walking in the other direction but the dog caught up to us. I panicked and shouted “get your fucking dog on a lead”. I shouldn’t have sworn but I panicked. I’m usually really meek and never stand up for myself. Me and DDog have been attacked before (genuinely wasn’t DDogs fault) so I hate dogs being off lead anyway but I could see that this one wasn’t “playing” as the man claimed.

So he started ranting off on one saying I’m the one with the breed. I said, “says the man with the german shepherd”. (I have nothing against them at all but they aren’t used as police dogs for nothing). He then said my dog should be put down even though she didn’t attacked, she was snarling at this point though as the other dog was really in her face.

I walked off and he was still shouting at me. I turned around and tried to apologise and explain we’d been attacked before but obviously he didn’t want to hear it.

I shouldn’t have sworn but I panicked. I’m sleep deprived with a 5 week old baby (she wasn’t present) I also suffer from anxiety and could just see there being a fight.

So was IBU? I think that if your going to have a dog off lead, it should a good recall and be socialised. It definitely wasn’t playing and it had gone for my dog previously. I’m scared I’m going to bump into this man again. I hate confrontation and I shouldn’t have sworn but surely his dog should have been on a lead?

Sorry for the ramble

My dog got badly attacked last year and I'm very very nervous of other dogs as a result. A couple of weeks ago, a dog just appeared from nowhere and pounced on mine - it had him pinned on his back, and the noise was awful though thankfully there was no blood. Its owner eventually appeared and I literally lost the plot with them, even though I do vaguely know them. I'm too embarrassed to admit what came out of my mouth but I was so scared. We met her the other day and she almost ran in the opposite direction but she still hasn't got her effing horrid dog on a lead......................

We all react in different ways when adrenaline is flowing

YANBU at all.

Apart from the "DDog" thing.

@BlueSlipperSocks - I’ve got another route I can take. DH is going to take her tomorrow evening just incase but if he goes that way I think he’s just asking for trouble really.

I doubt the bloke would give a mouthful to DH who is well over 6ft in comparison to little old 5ft tall me.

Let DH get on with it. Maybe entitled nob will find a new walk if he's confronted with someone his own size 😉

Getyerdogonalead they really are fantastic dogs but have a play style that most dogs (and humans) find offensive. I generally only allow mine to play with eachother because they are so rough and noisy.

Once when my younger girl was about a year old (and about 30kg) she decided to try and ‘play’ with a lady and a greyhound by circling it while barking like a maniac and trying to tease it into chasing her. Needless to say that’s the one and only time I’ve let her play with a dog that isn’t mine as it was too embarrassing to repeat

I wouldn’t be happy in your situation though and I don’t blame you for shouting at him, I would have done the same.

Definitely not unreasonable! My dog is very anxious and less reactive, so he will go for other dogs if they come near him. He’s normally not aggressive but when out walking he gets anxiety so feels he needs to defend himself and always feels threatened. The amount of people with their dogs off lead who say ‘mines friendly’ yeah well mine isn’t so put your dog on a lead before it rushes up to mine!!

God that sounds awful, poor you and your dog.
Honestly he sounds like a prick - you are doing the correct thing trying to get your ddog away.
I only let Gertiedog off lead in a designated area - all the other off lead dogs are happy to be approached .
As for his comments about Staffies - load of bollocks , I know plenty and the only danger is being loved to death.
And dont apologise for rambling on here- sometimes you just need to get it all out