So evening walk, for a variety of reasons not least because dd (ASD) is home from school I walk either up the park next to my house onto the trail or I walk up the road onto the lane then trail and then walk down the park so same route just in reverse.
Had a few niggles last summer with an eldery man with a beagle labrador cross I assume in so far as it's lab size with a lot of beagle features, always off lead and really boisterous. Dog would run at Bella who I'd put on the lead and Bella wouldn't like it. He'd shout "He only wants to play" and I'd say "But she's not liking it can you call him back?" he wouldn't because he maintained the dog only wanted to play.
Anyway this continued until the day Bella snarled and snapped at the dog, no damage done and the dog seemed to realise she wasn't going to play as from then the dog would get so far and then turn round when it realised it was Bella.
Anyway no issues all winter as he hasn't seemed to be about with the dog until the dry weather we've had recently. I assume he must llive in the bungalows facing the park because whatever time I walk at teatime (I've altered times by as much as two hours to shake him off) he's either in the lane with the dog or on the park with the dog as we make our way home so must see us either walk by the front or the back of his home.
Again no issues the dog keeps its distance and Bella ignores, I say hello and we pass with no bother. Last night was much the same, I walked Bella off lead up the park, dog appears from nowhere, elderly man isn't on the park but stood looking onto the park from an entrance. Dog sees Bella and as usual runs towards her (Bella happily sniffing some distance behind me) Stops when level with me and retreats. No idea whether Bella seeing dog close to me spooked her but she started to run which spooked the other dog. I stopped Bella (she stops dead if I shout wait) and recalled her and put her on the lead the dog though ran off the park and past the elderly man who obviously can't catch it and the dog doesn't come to his commands.
I ended up handing Bella to a couple I know walking their dogs on the park and me and the husband went and caught the dog (elderly man doesn't even have a lead with him!) Took the dog back to the man and got a lecture for having a nasty dog off the lead ,bearing in mind Bella was under control at all times and hadn't got close to his dog and I'd just spent fifteen minutes catching his dog.
So any advice please, what should I have done differently, and is the area out of bounds now do you think? I know I can keep Bella under control and will put her on the lead as soon as I see them but worried the dog will now always be spooked and I might end up either catching the dog again or his dog getting hurt.