Yes, but if you know your own dog, you can make the decision or not whether to interfere. I now at last can trust Ben ... although for the sake of the third parties, I don't just stand back and let him get on with it. I will intervene if third parties are shrieking hysterically and flapping, and/or the dog in question is shrieking. They don't know that Ben won't hurt another dog, but really this hysterical flapping on the part of owners does up the anti and results in their dog becoming hysterical. Much better for everyone to stay calm, don't flap.

Once again we're in agreement and once again I know that you will be aware, but for the benefit of others who maybe don't know, hysterical screaming or excited shrieks from kids, means something entirely different to a dog than what it does to a human.

This is explained in many books, Professor Coren's book "How Dogs Think" is one of many.

Tbh that's easy to say when you have the big dog, if he tried it with one of my Pugs I'd yell and swear and be highly aggressive and would leave you in no doubt your dog was in the wrong. I've had big dogs and it's never acceptable to allow them to kick off with a small dog. Never.

Well yes-ish. All dogs are different, some have real issues with other dogs coming into their space when they are on the lead. If another dog does this, Ben WILL kick off, even if the dog is a toy breed ... unless they do this in a very calm way, showing the right level of politeness, allowing Ben to sniff them etc. etc. The slightest growl from them, he will pounce whether large or small. I will take control of the situation of course, but at the end of the day if you as a dog owner allow your dog into the space of another dog who is leashed, then don't get hysterical when there is trouble.

Mine don't have any issues at all, but if you can't trust yours to behave around small dogs you should be avoiding them. He doesn't have a right to sniff any dog. Trust me it wouldn't be hysteria, either you control the dog or he'd get my walking boot in very tender place. This is why most people avoid other walkers, it's not acceptable to let him kick off at anyone and I can't see why you think it is.

Hang on a minute!! Its not acceptable for some random dog to invade Ben's space when he is under control on his lead!! If he was off lead I would entirely agree ... but Ben has the right to defend his pack and his space. I will still reprimand him because I think he should be accepting og other dogs even if he is on a lead and they are not. As for objecting to a dog sniffing your dogs that is just plain ridiculous!! Thats how dogs meet and greet and size everyone up!

And whats more if you kicked my dog or any dog I would knock you senseless!! Kick me, dont kick my fog ... you shouldnt EVER kick a dig, thats despicable.

Sorry about the typos! Im on my smart phone and fingers too big!!

Lol I don't think you would actually, and I'd do whatever it took to get a dog off of mine, I might kick you too the last person that let her dog grab a Pug with me was rugby tackled to the floor and the police were called. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. It's despicable to let your dog kick off at a small dog, blimey they're easy enough to scare off before they get to him, maybe he should be wearing a muzzle.

Yes it is, agree, why would any decent human kick a dog Oh I forgot about the morons who want to get money and excitment by training / abusing dogs to fight each other.

Corrected your typo, hope you don't mind

I just dont get you!! I remember when all that shit kicked off when Ben jumped out of our garden and pounced on next door's dog, there was a big debate about dogs on leads and other peeps keeping their dogs under control and not allowing them to rush up to say hello. I actually at the time defended those people and said i thought it was perfectly ok for a dog to approach another dog who was leashed and YOU argued with me and said no, that was bad manners! I am certainly not going to muzzle ben ... he is not a DD ... any dog that comes up to him when he is leashed is more than welcome to do so but if that dog growls at Ben then Ben will pin it to teach it manners! There will not be a mark on it but it will be wet with saliva! This is perfectly reasonable of Ben ... in human terms it is the equivalent of someone bounding up to you, warmly shaking your hand, you shake their hand back and ask them their name etc etc, but then suddenly that person throws a load of insulting 4 letter words at you!! The dog who has bounded into bens space should allow himself to be sniffed otherwise he is being exceptionally rude! A well-balanced dog should always allow another dog to give him the polite once over!