Just went over to the field with Jasper. Lots of dogs/kids playing, all having a lovely time. When it was time to leave, I stuck Jasper on his lead and started walking around the field to the pond. By the exit, there was a family building snowmen and their three dogs. One of the dogs had come over to Jasper earlier and was friendly, so didn't think anything of it. As we got closer, all three dogs ran over to us to say hello. I stood still, let them all sniff each other etc. The woman came stropping over, muttered something about my lead being dangerous and she didn't want her dogs to break a leg (have extendable lead, but lead was shortened). She then told me to walk off and her dogs would leave me. I raised my eyebrows at her tone, but walked on with Jas and the DC. Her dogs kept running around us, getting under foot etc. She stood blowing a whistle, which the dogs roundly ignored. I started walking around the pond, trying to get away tbh. Suddenly she's bellowing 'WAIT'. I kept walking, thinking surely that's a command for the dogs. But no. I am apparently meant to wait. She yells 'Excuse me!' which gets my attention, then yells again 'WAIT! I want my dogs back'. I was a bit pissed off at this stage and said 'Well, please come and get them'. She strode over and started trying to grab her dogs by the collars. They were having none of it. I told the DC to keep walking, and started to follow. Again I got 'WAIT. I need to get the leads on'. She was really, really arsey.
Me: Look, I'm just trying to walk my dog.
Her: You should have avoided us.
Me: I'm sorry, do you own the field now?
Her: No, but you could see we were there so why didn't you walk the other way?
Me: Because I was heading this way, your dogs were off lead so I assumed you had them under control. My dog is on a lead. I'm just walking with my DC.
Her: Well, everything was fine until you came along. And I'm just here with my DC too.
Me: Lovely attitude you have.
Her: You too.
And off she flounced with her dogs. Now, I'm trying to see where I went wrong here. Because my dog was on a lead. We ddn't walk through the middle of her snowman building team exercise, and she spoke to me like I was a vaguely stupid chimp. Do I earn special stripes now?
If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.
The doghouse
Had my first dog walking run in
ChickensGoMeh · 05/02/2012 11:36
No Wayyyyy 
She sounds perfectly hideous and totally un-self aware - err her dogs are definitely her problem!!!!
Bonkers.
I too hate extendable dog leads (My dog had the skin stripped off her thigh when a bouncy dog tied her up in it and then tried to run off taking her flesh with it - dumb owner failed to notice and I was still a little distance away - took ages to heal :( )
But I don't have an issue so long as the dog on it isn't allowed to play about with other dogs on the long lead. :)
You didn't go wrong at all. Not one bit. Hats off to you for staying polite, firm, and not taking it on board ( at least, not outwardly!).
I would make yourself a hot chocolate, close your eyes, imagine a large icy lake, dump the woman in it (with dogs if you like, its only imagination!) and let the water close over her head. Then enjoy your chocolate 
Thanks I didn't realise that extendable leads were iffy, tbh, and as soon as the dogs started running about I pulled him in. I use it because Jasper's recall isn't rock solid yet, and when we're walking around the lake I don't want him charging around a corner and scaring the whatsit out of a toddler or...well, anyone really. But it still wasn't my fault that her dogs wouldn't go back to her. They were friendly, lovely dogs, so I wasn't scared or in any danger. Just pissed off with her attitude, tbh, and the gobbing off in front of the DC. And, AND....she was posh 
OP, you have my sympathies, sadly there are lot of rude dogwalkers out there - I meet them often (and my lovely dog is perfectly behaved at all times, of course 
). Some dog owners are irresponsible and rude and they give the rest of us a bad name!
But re the extendable lead - they are horribly dangerous. One of my DCs got caught up in one as a toddler and had a horrible raised welt and bad bruising across his neck for a good few days afterwards ..... it wasn't anyone's fault, it just happened so quickly (small terrier, excited toddler, owner panicked when the lead went around DS' neck, started yelling at the dog which got confused and ran even faster in smaller circles ....) We were lucky that DS wasn't strangled to death, frankly.
Chickens I don't think the lead was the issue in this case anyway, I was just mentioning it coz someone else did .... that woman would have had a go at you no matter what, I'm sure! Let it go. Next time you see her, ignore ignore ignore. (And I'm sure we're all hoping that Jasper runs up to her and cocks his leg against hers )
I don't think you did anything wrong at all. Very odd/rude behaviour from the other owner, she needs to take responsibility for training her own dogs, not blaming everyone else for their lack of recall!
As for extendable leads - I have one, but rarely use it now, I've found they tend to be more trouble than they're worth really. And the ones for big dogs are incredibly heavy and bulky to carry. I wouldn't berate a random stranger for using one though 
.
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Extraordinary behaviour. Agree completely with AnEcumenicalMatter, do not engage with these people. Complete waste of emotional energy on your part. A good strong 
will suffice.
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