Why would someone do this?

[McQueensMuse]

I was walking to meet DP for lunch with my toddler his pushchair and my dog who was on my right hand side.

I was (very clearly) in a hurry so when I saw that there was a woman and her dog approaching me from the opposite direction I moved my dog over to my left.

She asked "oh is he not very friendly?" as we passed, I smiled and said "No he's very friendly" and kept walking.
She called after me "Well they like to socialise you know" in such a snide tone.

I just kept going while muttering under my breath that I don't have time, I'm in a hurry.

Just why, Why would someone feel the need to make that comment?

My dog can socialise all he likes on either of his hour long walks, I can't leave him at home for any length of time as (according to my neighbour) he barks incessantly so he just has to come with me and I don't need shit from random strangers when I can't spare time to let him engage in a bit of bum sniffing with her dog.

It’s good for dogs to know they don’t have to / get to greet every dog on a walk. We had to prove we could do this for KC good citizen.
So, in short, you did nothing wrong at all, and she was a dick.

Thank you @PinkflowersWhiteBerries

She was a bit of a tool wasn't she? Most (probably all) dogs shouldn't greet when one or both of them is on the lead anyway, it's just asking for trouble.

I was seriously stressed out anyway and this just made it worse.

People are obsessed with letting their dogs socialise with others. I don’t allow it because I’ve found most people can’t read their badly behaved dogs and it’s mine who have to be subjected to it.

I just say mines horrible (she isn’t, but I can’t be bothered!) and most people accept that.

People think socialising is meeting every dog. I’m fact it’s the opposite. It’s learning to focus on your human and walk past another dog without incident. A quick polite sniff at most.

I only allow my dog to meet dogs I know. There is only stress and frustration from onlead meetings.

Don’t get me started on ‘socialisation’ walks which is mostly more confident dogs bullying less confident, where the more confident escalate their behaviour and the less get more and more stressed.

Lots of people think that their dog has to socialise with every other dog they meet and they seem to almost take it personally if you say no.

I have a dog that's lead reactive but who also has shocking recall (beagle) so I never, ever let him have a lead greeting with an unknown dog.

I've been called names and had dirty looks chucked my way multiple times because I've asked people to recall their dog or have turned around and changed paths to avoid them and their dog.

It's batshit how entitled some dog owners are and one day, their dogs will approach the wrong dog and get themselves bitten (or worse).

I'd also add that a dog who feels the need to rush over and greet every dog it meets is rude and badly socialised - not friendly as their owners like to insist!

Well you guys have made me feel much better, Thank you.

Some dog owners seem to feel that the world revolves around their dogs and the dogs' feelings.

She probably would have said to her dog, afterwards...
' Oh my poor Dinkpoos... take no notice of the nasty lady!'

Think no more about it. She's a twit.

Someone shouted at me I needed to get my husky to proper classes so she could be off lead and was I useless.... Another woman tried to defend me that huskies aren't great off lead... I cross the road to avoid her now..

Christ on a bike @Ibravedaflood I thought it was common knowledge that huskies don't get off the lead!

Because her IQ is lower than her dog's. Some owners are absolutely obsessed with the idea that every dog must be able to play and interact with every other dog. It's bonkers.

This will make you feel even better. Took my older pup into town today to do some focus around distractions training after work. Took her to a quiet, pedestrian place where it was safe for me to drop her lead to practice some waits and stays. She was laid down, focusing on me and staying nicely when we got barged into by an onlead dog who was brought over to say hi 😳 I just moved mine away quickly before either of them had chance to react and the owner went on to bother someone else.

I had a run in with a husky owner. Was walking my on lead gsd through a park when an off lead husky ran up to us. My dog is lead reactive as she was bitten by an escapee mastiff. So I had to make sure the husky and my dog didn’t get to each other. I grabbed the collar of each dog and held them arms width apart. The owner is across the park shouting at me to keep hold of it. I am small and far from strong. Both dogs not happy. The husky twisted out of my hands and ran off. I got an absolute mouthful from the owner. It was all my fault that it would now take him hours to get the dog back.
Why on earth the bloody thing was off lead I do not know.
Some people should not own dogs.
Apologies for my rant on your thread but you are not alone in coming across idiots.

She said it because she's a nasty, miserable cow.

That's all - don't think any more of it.

The mad thing is she uses a mobility walker with a Spaniel on the end of an extendable lead!