I've been accused of deliberately winding up a dog and his owner and I feel awful about it, I was totally unaware.

[Nectar]

I'm a relatively new dog owner, I have a retriever who's just turned a year old. 3 or 4 times a week I take him to the local dog park, now the only way to get back from there is past a house with a dog who is almost permanently behind the gate, barking at anyone who walks past. This sets my dog off but it's only friendly yapping from both of them, with a secure gate in between.

They seem pleased to see each other so I tend to let them say a quick 'hello' before moving on. I've never once seen the owner, and never seen the dog out.

However today I got to the park and I saw the dog, he came bounding up to us. Didn't even recognise the man with him as I've never seen him, but I smiled at him and said 'Oh, he's the dog we see behind the gate!' I then realised the owner was looking at me with a face like thunder. He said it was my fault his dog barked a lot because I just stand outside his house letting my dog wind his up!. I said I didn't see it like that at all, just let them say a quick hello and move on. He looks a lovely dog, I'd NEVER deliberately wind an animal up, or a human for that matter!

He then called to his dog and left the park, and this lady came up to me, telling me not to be upset but she lives in his road, (they dog walk together), and him and his neighbours each side, really think I've got something against him and am enjoying winding him up every time I go past

She said just by looking and talking to me she could see I'm a nice person and wouldn't be capable of that sort of behaviour! She also couldn't believe I'd never seen him before, as he's got it into his head that I've got some sort of vendetta against him

I vary my walks, so it's only 3 or 4 times a week we go past his house but I'm never going to walk down that road again with my dog, I'll go into town to the other dog park. I told her to pass on my apologies, she said she's sorry I was upset but he's a very defensive person and is prone to thinking people are out to get him when they're not.

He looked FURIOUS though, and I'd have been scared if she hadn't been there

Well if the dog's yapping at everyone who walks past it's not just you is it? Is this man going to rampage round the town having a go at everyone who dares to use the path? He needs to keep the dog inside as it's probably very annoying for the neighbours to have this dog barking at every passer by.

I would still use the path but just walk by his fence, don't stop. Take a treat to keep your dog interested and walk on by. I wouldn't stand and let my dog bark at another one through the fence tbh, the racket would annoy me.

Thanks Margot, yes I probably should have just dragged my dog away. Tbh when we walk past I'm relieved if the dog isn't out there, so we can just carry on. When I do move away once they've acknowledged each other, his dog then runs round to the back of the garden which faces the junction we cross at and continues barking, even though we can't see him from there! So yes, their neighbours probably have this all day long.

I do wonder if he's had a go at anybody else, as you say, it can't just be me he notices. I was just shocked at the fact he thought I was deliberately causing him a problem but I'll certainly keep my distance from now on.

Ignore ignore ignore, he's looking for someone to blame.
That said Eric is a proper wind up merchant. Our immediate neighbour has two dogs one chained at the front who sleeps in the outhouse on the front and one chained at the back who sleeps in the shed on the back (terribly sad and I hate it but apparently she's doing nothing wrong.) There is one point on both our front and back gardens where the dogs can see Eric. Walking down the front path Eric stops and waits for the dog to start barking because he loves it and on the back garden he needs to stand on two legs and so does just that. Have to say that if the neighbour complained I'd tell her to unchain the dogs and take them in the house like they deserve (they aren't guard dogs it's a patterdale and a lassie dog). Oh and forgot the JRT over the road Eric deliberately waits by the car door to set him off and yet Eric rarely barks.

Thanks everyone, yes my dh said exactly the same, as in I'm probably being made a scapegoat as the neighbours are fed up with him barking all day long. I will certainly stop my dog barking back though, and when possible just avoid that road.

I took another route this morning and last night, not that convenient but I'll do it until I feel brave enough to pass his house again! He obviously doesn't realise his road is on my walking route, he must think I just make a point of standing outside his garden!

He is being a misery guts. If he wants to do something he could either train it himself or, you know, keep it in the back garden
Every village has someone like this. Mine does

:( It's horrible to be accused of something when it's not true. Hopefully she will tell him for you. I wouldn't go to a different park or alter your route but I would walk on the other side of the road if possible and take a treat to give your dog as you get close to their house so your dog is too busy to pay much attention.

Feel sorry for the bloke, it must be awful to have such a persecution complex.

He's a loon! I agree most likely trying to shift blame for his dog parking onto you. my garden backs onto a path used by dog walkers so we installed a small fence further up to stop the terrier getting right to the end where he would bark at dogs the other side. He should be taking responsibility for keeping his dog away from the boundary if that makes him bark.

I would not stop walking past but I would just walk your dog along briskly without stopping from now on so as not to fuel his righteous indignation!

Thank you all, I felt a bit tearful and intimidated when he confronted me the other day, but feel better now. I did walk past there without the dog, on my way to the shops yesterday, and the dog started barking. He stopped once I'd passed the garden, but started up again when two people passed after me, again without a dog!

I expect the neighbours have this all day long and it was just convenient for him to blame me. He obviously has issues to deal with.

ignore.

There is a man in our village who got the rage at us, just for walking past his house (we don't stop for dogs to "say hello"), we literally just walk past. My dog does not even bark or anything.

His dog has a thing against mine (who is a whippety scared thing who just tries to walk past the house as quickly as possible most days), or maybe against every dog, and barks and jumps the gate so badly that a few times he managed to get over/through the gate, to come bounding up at us.

Whippety thing then summoned all her courage a quickly dominated loose dog before moving on (I say "dominated" as in she growled and stood over him whilst he cowered, he is a weird dog who barks a lot and seems aggressive but is also scared of other dogs?).

Owner was furious for my dog winding his dog up so much he came through/over the fence. He shouted all kinds of abuse at me.

WTF.

People can be mad. Best to avoid and not take notice!

It was a normal public road, and my dog was on the lead.