Last night my dog walk cost me £140 and I feel terrible.

[Beaverfeaver2]

I was walking my 7month Viszla boy alone last night. (Usually go with DH)

We go to a designated dog walking field nearby where it doesn't get too busy and he can run off the lead and get the exercise and training he needs.

We had been happily walking along for about 40 mins. His recall was excellent and was coming back when asked every time even when other people and dogs were about.

Then all of a sudden he turns a corner and goes. I run after him and see him jumping up at a very frail young girl who is in tears by this point.

I have been calling him back the whole time and get to her her and pull him away and put him on his lead and apologise to the girl.

I continue walking with him on the lead and make my way back to exit the field.
The girl has left the field and has called her friend to meet her.

They are very cross with me and shout across and say my dog jumped up at her and has ripped her top.
I apologise once again and give her my number and say for her to give me a call and I will compensate her for everything.

The ladies continue by telling me how much of a terrible dog owner I am and that I should never let him of his lead if he doesn't come back.
There was no point explaining to them that he does and apart from this one strange moment, he is very well behaved for a puppy and has done all the training classes.

I go home teary and talk to DH who is surprised as well.

The girl calls me and tells me how it was her favourite top, and that her trousers are damaged too and that she is absolutely traumatised.
I agreed to give her the money and went straight to the cashpoint and drove it round to her.

They are thankful for this, but make it clear that they were nearly going to report me and get the dog taken away or put down.

The dog was not being vicious and didn't bite her, he was just excited and playing. However I know this can be scary for someone who is weak, frail and cant handle dogs.

I am feeling sorry for the girl. And I am feeling angry towards myself.
Should I never let him off the lead again in case he doesn't come back again?
Should I find walks where there are no other people so that he gets the exercise he needs?

I feel totally embarrassed and have been teary and cant stop thinking about it.

I started looking at training collars, but they seem ever so cruel and my mostly lovely Viszla doesn't deserve it.

Should I never walk him alone any more?

Should I get rid of him?

How would you feel?

I cant possibly risk another costly walk like this.

You are in the wrong. You need to train the dog much more. I don't think it was a scam.

It sounds like a scam to me too. Who suggested the money, you or them? I have had dogs jump up at me many many times, and I don't ever recall my clothes being ripped. Seems very odd.

It's a private field surrounded by water which fisherman use to fish, and dog walkers have special permission to use it.

Dog doesn't bother the fisherman sitting by the river when we go passed them.

DH has just called me to say he has booked a one to one trainer to come to help us on Monday and explained what had happened.

It's not going to be cheap but I can't risk it again.
I'm terrified of that. It was totally out of character and took me by surprise.

It's not nice being pointed at and told your a terrible dog owner for letting him off the lead.

Not once have I ever seen anyone there walking alone like that.
She came across as uber timid and very ill, and wouldn't surprise me if she was crying before he had seen her.

This would explain him going over to her as dogs naturally have empathy which makes them want to cheer people up.
Unfortunately jumping up and being all overly playful doesn't help when your a sad girl.

I have no idea how old she was. She looked like she could have been between 16-18 but her illness obviously made it hard to tell.

She was saying how she struggles as she has no family and no one to support her, so I think she is quite down generally.

It's funny you say that because DH was just saying the same thing.
When he was very young e jumped a lot and we concentrated on training him off of doing that, but not once did we have ripped clothes.

He wasn't jumping at her for long either as I pulled him off as soon as I got to him and I had run after him so a few seconds at the most

Did she have any scratches or other injuries?

You are obviously very upset by this but be careful not to let it get out of hand. A person has been frightened and may have had her clothes ruined but nothing beyond that.

My dad's three large breed dogs all throw themselves at me with gusto whenever I visit. I am often knocked off by feet by the sheer ferocity of their excitement which is no mean feat considering my size. The only time they ever rip clothes is when their paws get caught in pockets on their way down and the pocket ends being ripped off. They've never managed to rip tops or trousers, despite it often feeling like the are actually trying kill me.

I have bouncy, big dogs. They've never managed to rip clothes by jumping up.

Whether it was a scam of not dog owners now have to be so vigilant to not put their dogs into positions where they can be accused of anything.
Re the changes in the dog law.

Learn from this.

No 7 month old puppy (especially a gun dog) will have 100% reliable recall - they have not yet meet every experience or have had time to be proofed in every situation.

Always keep your dog in sight, use a long lead if there is even a minute chance the dog could go up to people, dogs or animals.

Never ever let your dog out of your sight or critical distance eg the distance that they begin to go deaf or ignore commands.

This is to protect you the public and more importantly your dog - it will stop them being stolen, injured or wrongly accused.

Bless you OP you poor thing. I can't stand dogs, especially those who jump up, but that doesn't mean other people shouldn't walk them off a lead in a wife open space.
If I'd been the girl honestly I wouldn't mention it. You apologised and I would say no worries and smile like most polite people do.

Please tell me how you came to the figure £140? And how old the girl was? You were mugged! Awful

I have a little 10 month old puppy. She has made holes/rips in 2 pairs of my daughter's jeans, 1 pair of tracksuit bottoms and numerous pairs of tights by just jumping up. It does happen. It's either her nails or her teeth!

You e compensated her and yet she still threatens to report you.what a nasty person she is.

OP, I also think that you've been had.

But this "He wasn't jumping at her for long either as I pulled him off as soon as I got to him and I had run after him so a few seconds at the most"

Do you mean he kept jumping up until you got to him?

Because even if he didn't come back, why would he keep jumping up?

Why shouldn't she report the dog though just because she had money?

The money was supposedly for ruined clothes.

She can still report an "out of control" dog.

BTW, I love dogs & am not weak.

But a dog jumping up uninvited still pisses me off!