Is it ok for an off lead dog to bound up to another off lead dog?

[Nosepeas]

On a walk today my dog ran quite far ahead to catch up with a small group of dogs. Her recall is great and she would have come straight back if I'd called, but I let her go on the basis that the other dogs were all off lead. She tends to bound up, sniff them, run away, repeat and then wander off. She grew up with other dogs and loves their company. She did that today and the owners (who were walking a group of 5 dogs) looked really annoyed.

Of course I always recall and leash her if we're passing or near a dog on a lead, but these were running around happily and she just wanted to join in.

Did I do something wrong? Am relatively new to dog owning and she's very good but appreciate that there seem to be lots of unspoken rules here.

I think this is fine. I generally think dogs just sort themselves out so if they don’t want the other dog there they’ll tell them. But it does rely on owners only letting their dog off the lead if it’s friendly and got good recall etc.

Obviously off lead dog going up to on lead dog is wrong.

I have a nervous dog so I keep her on the lead. She also wears a harness that says nervous. She hates it if other dogs approach her, it’s quite common doggy etiquette.

My other dog who goes off lead I always make walk to heel when dogs on leads go past.

Please don't allow your dog to run up to other dogs, on or off lead without checking it's okay with the owner first.
Too many occasions of dogs running rudely into our space have caused my once completely neutral bitch to have zero tolerance of this now.
It has completely changed when and where I am able to walk her off lead, and the whole thing was completely avoidable if others had been more considerate.
I no longer enjoy walking my dogs as I have to be hyper vigilant, and frequently pay to hire private fields to give myself a day without stress.

I think there are off lead dogs and off lead dogs.

Some dogs are off lead and running about in an area clearly popular with dog walkers, showing some interest in all dogs. Probably ok to approach.

Some are plodding along behind their owner in close formation in more remote places, clearly going for a quiet walk. Not ok to approach, imo. The absence of a lead doesn't change that.

Please don't let your dog randomly approach others without checking it's okay - even if they are off the lead.

It's the fact that you say your dog ran quite far ahead that cinches it for me - the owners may not have known your dog was coming and may well have called theirs back and put them on the lead if they'd known.

I walk a few dogs with impeccable recall but they don't like being around other dogs. I let them off but if I see other dogs approaching I call them back and leash them just in case.

It feels a bit sad that I should be aiming for her to ignore all dogs though.

A well trained dog should do that automatically. For example, all three of mine if they see another dog always return straight to me without being called. Ditto if they see humans or cyclists. Or horse riders. Because I taught them to. Dogs off the lead are a bloody menace.

Just because another dog is off the lead doesn’t mean it’s friendly - my spaniel goes off the lead and she’s a mardy old cow if another dogs approaches her. If they don’t then she’s fine - even if they skim past her. It’s nose on bum she doesn’t like or another dog in her face. She just doesn’t want to be bothered - she’s old and, quite frankly, has better things to do than be bothered on her walk.

In this case I think both you and the other owners were in the wrong; them for letting their dogs bother a stranger (that’s just bloody stupid) and you for assuming dog off lead = fair game.

is your dog a puppy?
i guess the dogs can sort it out for themselves

My dog is nervous (though not reactive) but is off lead because being on an off lead walk is much nicer for her from a sniffing point of view. She’s exceptionally well behaved/trained and would not approach another dog unless invited over (and I go with her to reassure her). So she will walk off lead past another dog no problem and not look at them.

I find it really annoying to have dogs running over from some distance away to come to her. She gives off every signal that she’s not happy, will cower to the ground and not look at them. Both the dogs and owners don’t seem to be able to read signals. To be honest it happens even if I have her on the lead so I keep her off as I do think she feels a bit braver off lead than on lead. I just wish people would control their dogs.

dogs bounding up to another is rude from a dog’s point of view. The dog which is getting approached can often find this behaviour aggressive/intimidating even if there is no aggressive intent.

a friend of mine carries pet deterrence spray and sprays any dog which approaches hers!

so yeah, I think it’s fine for my dog to be off lead because she’s well behaved and won’t approach other dogs.

It feels a bit sad that I should be aiming for her to ignore all dogs though. She's a social animal.

chances are if you walk a regular route at a regular time you’ll get to know other dogs and know which ones are happy to be approached and which ones aren’t. So my small dog and me were nicely approached by a lady with a huge Rottweiler the other week. She did ask before coming over. My dog was scared, but takes her cues from me and I made a fuss of this other dog and soon they were happily sniffing. We saw them a few days later and my dog remembers and was happy to see the other dog and was wagging her tail like mad wanting him to come over (he did).

if it’s an unknown dog then by all means approach together but you need to control the situation and ask the other owner if it’s ok, most people are happy for their dogs to say “hello” to each other. It’s the bounding up to other dogs which is irritating.

It's the ' far ahead' and 'bound' part that I suspect are the problem. Especially as it sounds like yours charged up from behind? If someone's dogs are pottering along in a group close to their owners then a large excited dog suddenly bouncing into the middle of them is quite rude from the dogs point of view and alarming as they wouldn't have seen you coming or the opportunity to put theirs on a lead (could have been elderly and not wanting to be bounced).
If you were passing each other on a path and both off lead and you knew they had seen you and not looked bothered and your dog just gave a polite sniff and wag then no problem.
Think of it as the difference between 2 kids on a playground who start chatting and playing as they are at the same sandpit (fine, I hope!) And you being out for a walk with your toddler /grandma and a 10 year old child suddenly appears at full pelt from no where, screams hello in your face and tried to hug you all.
You probably wouldn't be thrilled even it it wasn't really anything but a bit rude..

From the way you describe it I would suspect your dog might not have what other dogs would consider good manners. There are ways and ways of approaching a strange dog and invading there personal space and sniffing them immediately is quite full on. At a guess- she sounds like a young labrador!
Honestly, if you can walk off lead in public with her with a good recall and no aggression then that is wonderful, I probably wouldn't consider chance meetings on a walk as good opportunities to really meet or play with other dogs, my aim would be for greetings to be quick and calm as you pass by. not opportunities for a prolonged meet/play. If you want her to have more time to socialise with other dogs I'd try and arrange some walks with friends and their dogs if you can. Then everyone is in agreement and they have plenty of time to relax together. Ideal if you can get a mix of dogs, obviously a young dog she could play with would be fun but she needs to know that they won't all be like that!

Please don't rely on this happening. It has the potential to go very wrong for the approaching dog and they could get badly hurt.

My dog is on a lead at all times because she's very reactive with other dogs and very protective of me and I do not appreciate loose dogs running up to her while their owner is oblivious, because she might attack them. Of course, said feckless owner would then blame my dog. Because people that let their dogs bound about all over leased dogs are selfish morons.

I think I would act the same in your situation. You just have to judge it at the time. If I see dogs on leads, I will put a lead on my dog and assume the owner doesn't want to socialise their dog. If I see dogs off the lead, then I will let my dog off the lead too. She loves other dogs and I trust her.

My dog is always off lead but is nervous of other dogs. He will put up with a mutual 3 second bum sniff but freezes if they dont go away after that so he wouldnt like another dog bounding up to him or trying to engage him in play. That said, i dont get annoyed at ither dog owners whose dogs approach unless/until ive said ge doesnt really like other dogs and they let their dog mither him and/or they clearly cant catch their dog

The only thing that I would worry about here is if a group of 5 dogs would then all get overwhelming for mine or might get too enthusiatic together. Id keep mine away frim a group like this.

No, not okay at all. You're assuming the other dogs aren't going to react at the peril of your own dog and are okay with it. You wouldn't want to do that to my dog (though he's always on lead).

My dog isn't on a lead because I don't want to socialise her 🙄 What a stupid ignorant comment.

She's on a lead because she's very protective of me and very reactive to other dogs and has been ever since we got her from Dog's Trust 6 years ago aged 7 (now 13) and as a Shiba Inu she is very hard to train, especially as she was already a fully grown 7 year old set in her ways when we got her. (She's soft as muck in the house though)

We frequently walk a friend’s dog. He just wants to sniff and play with his tennis ball. He hates puppies and bouncy dogs, although loves a tentative sniff and doesn’t mind other dogs approaching him slowly and gently.
The number of times we have had dogs enthusiastically run at him. He tries to ignore and chase his ball but the owners don’t call them off. This often results in him ‘snapping’ at the other dog. The owners can’t believe their dogs have been snapped at.

Actually some reactive dogs are better off lead because being on lead means they have no way of escaping unwanted attention so yes some reactive/nervous dogs will be off lead.

mine tenses up when i put her on a lead, she is far better just left to decide, however if it is a bouncy fluffy dog charging up to her for both their sakes i put her on a lead, dogs need to read each others signals

Of course it’s fine, unless your dog is going to nip/fight/bite/ is over exuberant or boisterous. I wouldn’t have ket my young lab off lead around clearly more senior dogs or smaller maybe nervous dogs. Or just walk over and ask.

For those that don’t like it, keep your dog on a lead.

Keeping my highly trained dogs on a lead won't stop other poorly trained dogs from bounding up and getting in their face.
It is basic etiquette to train your dog not to approach other dogs unless given a signal that it is OK to do so. It just shows manners and respect for other dogs and owners.
FYI it isn't "socialisation" to let your dog do this, it is just poor training.

My dog has very good recall and usually stays close to us. We sometimes have him off lead so he can have a good run around but will put him on lead if other dogs are nearby as he doesn't really like other dogs especially bigger ones (perfectly happy with people). He usually stays close and would just ignore the other dogs but we do this to ask other owners to do the same or at least ensure their dogs stay close to them and don't get up in my dog's business. What I really hate is owners who have no awareness or control of their dogs who come running over from the opposite side of a field and start jumping all over him before we have chance to put his lead on or even if the lead is on they jump all over him. Please don't allow this. Can you imagine if another human started standing right up close to you practically touching you or in your face - you wouldn't like it so please teach your dogs that other dogs don't like it too!

Your dog might not bite or nip but you don't know that about the dog they are running up to.

In my experience, having a dog on lead doesn't stop people letting their dogs run up. They assure me their dog is fine and ignore it when I tell them mine isn't.

Don't let dogs run up to other dogs for your own dog's safety.

The only evidence you have that it wasnt ok is that they looked a bit annoyed. Maybe they have resting bitch face. You're over thinking this.

If there was a problem, they would have said so. The only time i get a bit pissed off is if their dog starts jumping up at me. My rule is, if a dog is on lead, i put mine back on. If the approaching dog is off lead, and mines off lead, then all is good.

To me, having a dog on the lead is the signal that the owner doesn't want it to be approached.