Dogs not on lead

[Devastatedyetagain]

I need some perspective on this! Just returned from a walk with my puppy and I am still shaking a hour later.

I live in a lovely village with a large open park. You take your life in your hands walking across it due to the amount of dog poo that is left, but the issue today was a big retriever type dog racing up to me and my puppy. Owner nowhere to be seen. Said dog had been running up and down drives before bounding over to me. I noticed the owner through the hedge on the path that runs adjacent to the park. I shouted "put your dog on a lead" which met with some feeble calling but at this point her two other dogs appear. I was told I was being silly because they aren't dangerous - at no time did she remove them or put them on a lead. We had words but as a person who is apparently a solicitor and has had dogs for 12 years she does not need to have them on a lead or close to her.
So AIBU?

@minniemomo but that's the point, off lead dogs shouldn't be approaching on lead dogs... on lead dogs are usually on lead for a reason. Responsible owners put their on off lead dogs onto a lead when passing on lead dogs if the off lead dog is the type that won't just walk past the on lead without approaching.
If your dog is off lead and you allow it to approach on lead dogs, quite frankly you're an irresponsible and lazy owner.

Why on earth where you shaking? What are you teaching your puppy? Of course she shouldn't let her dog run up but dogs will run up to them, joggers will startle your dog, and she needs to not be bother by it. Not taught that this non- event is in anyway traumatic. Your dog is going to end up being a yappy arsehole dog unless you socialise it and let it not be scared of dogs approaching.

You are being dramatic here...

Someone asked what I think could have happened if it were a toddler - at best it could knock them over. At worst a bite and a scratch leading to a lifelong fear of dogs!

At best...absolutely nothing would have happened. At best the dog runs over, bounces around a bit and fucks off. Why does the best scenario involve a toddler being knocked over. Dramatic!

As PP said no this isn't ideal but you cannot control other people's actions. You need to try and relax a bit

@Pinchoftums have you read the thread? Op was shaking after the confrontation with the owner, not because of the dog. A natural reaction due to adrenaline if you're not used to confrontation. And the dog won't end up being yappy just because irresponsible lazy owners have no control over their dogs.

It isn't the lack of lead which is the problem, its the lack of control. My dogs can be happily off lead and walk to heel. Any sign of them getting overly boisterous and they go back on the lead. They're trained not to approach other dogs or humans without invite.

What annoys me is that if I see other dogs I put mine back on the lead until we pass, and yet the amount of times an owner has seen me do that, but then let's their dog come bounding over to mine anyway! And when I ask them to recall I get the whole just being friendly nonsense.

And that's quite fine, but one of my dogs is a baby and one of the others is very protective of her so she may well snap.

@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady I'm not being dramatic, I am being realistic. In any event why should people have to put up with it? Even your best case scenario could terrify a child who is not used to dogs.

I cannot believe the response to these woman's experience asking if there is something wrong with HER?! She asked the owner to put it on a lead and the owner ignored her. That is NOT ok ! Its irresespoonsible and dangerous.. if you look at the Blue cross website about dogs in public places its illegal.
It is perfectly sane, reasonable and ok to feel fear and be shaking after being out with a puppy and having uncontrolled dogs around . Stop blaming her wow!