Had my first dog walking run in

[ChickensGoMeh]

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?

[MissBetsyTrotwood]

The politics of dog walking are much worse than those of child rearing imo. Agree with Elibean about that lake.

[Elibean]

Forgot to say - if she's still in your head tonight when you go to bed, try the lake thing. Its an age-old letting-go technique - you stick the person/people you have in your head in the lake (whilst you sit comfortably with your back against a tree watching), say whatever you need to say to them (they are not allowed to speak or answer), and then let them be slowly swallowed up by the lake. Knowing they are not being harmed in any way, just taken away.

It really does work - daft as it may sound!

[Elibean]

Posh, overly-entitled rude ones are the worst: and I totally agree with whoever said the more wrong they are, the worse they shout! She was clearly being defensive, Chickens, which proves she knew she was in the wrong.
Whatever you are left with (ie insecurity, shame, burning sense of injustice etc) its HERS. Chuck it back at her - mentally - and let yourself feel pissed off

And if its any consolation, I found letting go of things like this nigh on impossible till I was at least 40 - so you have plenty of time

[Wolfiefan]

I hope you got a biscuit when you did as you were told!

I think I would have just carried on walking and left her to it!! Your dog clearly under control and a shortened extended lead not dangerous IMO.

Hahahah ai Eeyore! "please come and get the remains of your dog"

[ChickensGoMeh]

Yep. I felt a bit like I should have stuck my tongue out and rolled on my back for a belly rub.

[feesh]

So she TOLD you to go away and then she TOLD you to wait and come back?

Jaysus. I am so glad that we left England.

[pipsy76]

Sadly this will probablybe the first of many similar annoying encounters with other owners!

[pipsy76]

Definitely crackers, how are you a random stranger responsible for the lack of recall of her dogs!!!!!!!!!!

[ChickensGoMeh]

I really appreciate all of the replies. It got to me more than I liked to admit, so it's nice to know she was crackers

[TheMonster]

Although if her dogs had come near mine (which have to be on leads) then her dogs would have been eaten and she wouldn't have had to bother getting their leads...

[TheMonster]

She is a twat. I'd have kept walking. It's not your fault her dogs were walking with you.

[Slubberdegullion]

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.

[liveinazoo]

i dont have a dog,so maybe my opinion dont count. but i think she was frankly a right tit!
imo posh dog walkers are the worst for mardy moments
forget the silly begger and hopefully she will learn to keep her dogs on leads if she cant control them!

[Ephiny]

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 .

[MrsMcEnroe]

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 )

[GrimmaTheNome]

Just reel your dog in and lock it off when you're near other people or dogs. If you're on a path where people may approach suddenly (runners, cyclists) then best keep it short.

[ChickensGoMeh]

Ok. It hadn't occurred to me that the extendable leads were dangerous. I do have the string type Perhaps I should ditch it. So perhaps she had a point re that (although there was still no need imo to be so bloody high handed and rude )

[peggyblackett]

She sounds awful chickens.

Re. the extending lead - they're not great for the reasons outlined above. What about a training lead instead?

[GrimmaTheNome]

If you can't recall your dogs (or at least get them to sit/stay while you get them), then that's your problem. (ie the other woman).

Nothing wrong with extending leads so long as you use them sensibly. Which you were. (I had a nasty friction burn on the back of my legs when DH once let our dog dart out and I was wearing shorts - took years to totally fade! The sort that have tape rather than string are a bit better)

[MrsMcEnroe]

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.

[ditavonteesed]

what a nutter,well done for not rising to it.

[ChickensGoMeh]

Phew. I was beginning to wonder if I had committed some horrendous secret dog walking faux pas. She didn't 'shoo' me, but I think she wanted to Isn't it strange how such a random unexpected confrontation can throw you?

[TerraNotSoFirma]

What a dickhead!

[ArielNonBio]

Clearly she's insane. Don't worry about her