I can’t be arsed with having to leash my well trained, obedient dog every time we meet a dog owner on the other end of a leash of a growling, snarling beast, demanding that my dog is put on a leash because theirs is “reactive”. Once or twice, per two hour walk is fine. 60 times, per walk, is intolerable. Not to mention the hysterical parents who scream and flap at their children because.... “OMG there’s a dog. Quick, come here. That dog will bite you. Get away, get away dog. I don’t like you!”🙄
What type of dog do you have? 60x a walk? Does he look menacing or just not walking to heel? Why is he getting near enough that people are telling him to go away?
The trouble with reactive dogs is the owner has NO IDEA yours is well trained and obedient. They don’t know yours won’t approach theirs so they warn you. Suppose your dog rushed up to a leashed dog and got bitten or worse? Pet insurance is unlikely to pay if yours was running free and the other wasn’t.
When I walk GS a lot of people let their dogs bound right up to him or try to squeeze past him, so I let the owner know he is reactive so they have time to recall or leash.
It’s bewildering how many people let dogs off leash when they have no recall or come back at the 5th attempt. At best it’s bad manners at worst it’s dangerous!
As a parent, I get annoyed when off leash dogs come sniffing around my child or bound up to her. That doesn’t make me hysterical. If an unknown dog is barrelling towards her or circling her that’s scary; and children sometimes run on instinct, making it worse. I’ve had furious words with owners who let dogs come up to my child. How do I know your cute French bulldogs won’t jump up and snap at her? Or that your retriever won’t knock her into the mud with his enthusiasm? She doesn’t want to be licked or jumped on or barged into!
Do owners no longer call their dogs to heel to pass other walkers and dogs?
If I see a dog running straight towards us I put myself between my child and the dog. A firm ‘no’ or ‘get back’ or ‘leave it’ shouted at the dog in a harsh tone usually sends it back to the owner. Then angry owner says ‘but he was only playing’ 🙄
Obviously if GS is with us he deals with any dogs who invade our space.
Do people not realise how scary and threatening an off lead dog can be, especially a large breed? I can’t imagine letting GS off in public even if he were dog friendly with impeccable recall, as I wouldn’t want to terrify people.