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?