I know this has been done to death but....

[Mupflup]

...walking Ddog earlier this evening with DH. She's v nervous (rescue) and can be reactive and snappy so wears a yellow lead. Walking down a fairly wide path in the woods, in the distance we spot a couple with a biggish dog off lead, think it was a Lab. Ddog freezes, so DH takes her off the path slightly to keep her out the way. I walk ahead slightly, shout over to couple that Ddog is nervous and not very friendly so can they kept their dog away, by which point he's getting much closer and 20 feet or so in front of them. They shout back 'oh he's friendly', I shout back that mine isn't, please keep him away. They make a half arsed attempt to call him back, he takes no notice and by this time has made a beeline straight for Ddog who is getting agitated, trying to spin round and get away as he sniffs at her. I eventually end up grabbing their dog by the collar and walking him back to them, they start laughing about 'oh he never comes when we call him, he just ignores us'. I suggested in that case he shouldn't be off lead in public and get told 'I will always walk him off lead, mind your own business'. They were old-ish prob mid 70s at least, and clearly neither of them physically fit enough to either run after their dog, or intervene if there was an incident.

Twats.

I agree and it is why I deliberately try and walk my dog where the chances of encountering others is low. Some poeple just don't care and nothing will change their mind.

They might think twice about that when he runs across a road and gets hit by a car. I wish someone would do a publicity campaign about dogs having to earn the right to be off lead. It's not rocket science.

this comes up so many times - there is obviously a section of the dog-owing fraternity who are too lazy, entitled or ignorant to own one dog let alone 2.
My 'lurch' is 13 and on his last legs (has problems with back legs and can capsize if aggravated by 'they only want to play' stranger dogs. He is fine with dogs he knows especially if they are not a pack.
I have taken to walking him mornings only at some ungodly hour to avoid trouble with other dogs - which if said dogs (have to say a pair of chocolate labs are the worst offenders with a totally inadequate owner (in her 50s)) were under control would not be a problem.
It is not that some owners are 'precious' about their pets - there is often a reason for them not to join in the rough and tumble of dog meet dog 'playing'

It's depressingly common. So many people are clueless. They seem to think you're odd if you have your dog on the lead.
Yesterday a young chap let his dog, which was off-lead by a busy road, run up to mine, at which mine barked to chase it away.
He said to me, 'No problem, don't worry about it!' and looked totally puzzled when I explained why he shouldn't let his dog do that.