Lady in dog walking group hates my dog

[Starsmonshine]

I meet up regularly with this group although I am not right in the centre of the clique. I really enjoy it. I have a nearly 3 year old golden lab. Group has a range of dogs.

One lady is older, has a small mongrel type dog. I used to get on quite well with this lady but notices she falls out with a lot of people and has constant work conflicts etc.

She has recently started being really hostile to my dog who barks when she gets excited. For context, her dogs barks too when she is excited and also jumps up. I put my dog on the lead when she starts being too knobbish, and that stops her being rowdy and making noise.

All of the dogs in the group have annoying behaviours but we all just tolerate it because they are just normal dog things - nothing awful.

Last night she made a comment about hurting my dog to shut her up, literally as her dog was jumping up at me. It has really upset me. I don't want to leave the group but I don't want to start conflict. Has anyone got any advice?

If the group has a leader, or someone in charge, I’d make a complaint tbh. Comments about hurting animals aren’t big or clever and say a lot about the person involved.

If there isn’t, I would explain to those you usually walk with what was said and that you don’t feel comfortable walking with the group anymore and offer to meet them separately 😊

I wouldn’t have my dogs near someone who made a comment like that - regardless of how well trained their dog was tbh (her dogs behaviour is not really relevant) - simply because I find people who make those sorts of comments to be repugnant. So, either way, I wouldn’t be around her again.

Others will say ‘control your dog’ or ‘she wouldn’t really do it.’ That’s not the point - the point is it takes a particular sort of person to threaten an animal unless it’s 100% out of control and dangerous or aggressive.

Leave the group and if any asks explain why. I would imagine lots of the group think the same. Or make a comment back when her dog is jumping.
It’s seem ok to some that their little dogs can do what they want, but as soon as a larger dog does the same we have dangerous and out of control dogs!

Thank you hadn’t thought of the size thing (love the username @labradorservant )

@Starsmonshinewe had this the other day on a walk. My dog has some larger breed besties. Met a jack Russell. Told to put ours on the lead and they restrained theirs as theirs ‘could bite’. No muzzle. Can you imagine if I confessed that about my lab. She sounds like hard work so you have nothing to lose if you challenge her. Probably trying to deflect her dogs bad behaviour.

I feel like my dog is an easy target as well - various reasons. Thank you

Every single time she made a comment I would repeat it back, loudly and obviously, followed by, “really?! Are you ok?!”
Every. Single. Time.
She’ll be embarrassed out of her ridiculous behaviour in no time.

Ignore her or remind her that her dog barks too plus jumps up.

She sounds annoying as hell, her remark about hurting your dog would have the red mist descend if it were me.