I am upset as I thought all my days of incidents with other dog walkers like this were behind me now as we no longer have our lovely Cherry with us. She could get me into angry confrontations with people as she was partly blind and could be reactive with strange dogs and I used to get people who would let their dogs charge at her from one side of the heath to another and then have a go at me when she hit off or I used my pet corrector spray to stop her going off on one.

Izzy is dog-friendly and I want her to keep that way; as much as I loved Cherry it is stressful walking a dog you have to keep leashed and it is so nice being able to have 2 dogs off-lead as they're both friendly.

I'm really sorry this keeps happening to you, as you know, My Henry is also very often an easy target for these types of dogs and owners. Only yesterday I walked Hen, we met up with a couple and their black terrier, both dogs were on leads, the terrier approached Hen and they allowed it to, something didn't seem right and I asked if their dog was friendly..."sometimes" was the reply I got !

Talk about stupid, why let a dog approach another when they know it can't be trusted? I told them to get their dog away from mine fast, (Hen was on a tight lead at that point), but I was braced incase I needed to kick out...they looked a bit taken aback, and then said how beautiful he is...yes he is, and I want to keep him looking that way thank you

This is the reason we're trying to sell up and buy somewhere with land...that way my boy can wander to his hearts content without meeting up with these idiots...they certainly seem to be on the increase

I hope it all gets sorted for you x

god what a nightmare! i hope you and the dogs are ok now, and you get it sorted. im lucky and have never had a real nasty run in with anyone when ive been out with my two, but then again i live in a very small village and everyone knows everyone.

Oh dear-they're not all just in Norfolk then! Can't believe why someone thinks it's ok to have a dog that is not friendly with other dogs off-lead. GRRR!

Thanks-poor Henry-he is so sweet, it's not fair
I think I will be steering a wide course away from anyone else with nordic walking poles in future. On the other hand .... they would make a good deterrent/self defence weapon! I have just been on e-bay and ordered 2 Trident personal attack alarm sprays so if I see this nugget again when out on my own with the dogs I at least have some method of defence if he comes after me. Obviously I would walk away if I see him on the heath but he was a right nutter.

If his dogs were like that he should have had them on a lead!

How horrible for you, I hope you don't meet him again.

My question is, how does he know that dogs smell different to diabetic dogs? And is that right, do they?

We've had a few encounters like this. On two occasions, Dex was on a Flexi lead at the park and people let their off leash dogs come charging over - at which point they then went for Dex! And the owners just stood there watching!

One of the (many) reasons I'm trying so hard to get a solid recall is so that I can prevent Dex approaching dogs we don't know when he is off leash. It's just too risky - as your nasty encounter illustrates, there are many unfriendly dogs out there that are off leash.

I've just been reading this with horror, my first post the other day was about my lab getting attacked by 2 staffs who were both off lead. She's ok but I was very shaken. The owner was highly apologetic though and looked as shaken as me! If she'd given me attitude I think I'd have wrapped the dog lead round her neck. What an appalling man, definitely speak to other dog walkers about him and try to find out where he lives. If he's been that nasty to you I bet he's not a sweetheart to everyone else so I'm sure he's known to others. Keep us posted..I want to read that he's been arrested for assault, the spiteful old g*t.

Sounds as if he has it back to front to me, I can see a diabetic dog would smell differently to other dogs, due to different biochemistry.

I don't see why other dogs would smell differently to the diabetic dog. Just makes excuses imo

Horrible man, so sorry for you Kerryowner and Jamie.

Idiots with out of control aggressive dogs are one of the banes of my life I spend most of my dog walking life trying to avoid them.

Only last week I was repeatedly blocking a loose aggressive, growling, snarling, charging beagle from mine, after the fourth block I asked the owner to put it on a lead if he couldn't control it off lead, I was repeatedly told to "F*** Off".


Although I was very proud of them staying calm, letting Mum take care of it I did wonder if eventually they were going to decide I needed their help.

Idiot owner just kept standing there, alternating between totally ineffectively calling it and telling me to "F*** Off", every time I blocked it or asked him to remove it!!

I think in all there were ~ a dozen charges from this dog until it gave up. I couldn't even walk away as I couldn't turn my back on it and it was repeatedly trying to get round my body blocks and growly "Go Away"s to reach my dogs.



It has always been dog aggressive whenever I have seen it, but it used to be walked onlead, by the elderly father so you could avoid it.

This time he was with his big brave adult son,who apparently insists on allowing it off lead, over 6 foot tall and about half as wide, so very courageous swearing at a lone female

To be fair the father looked embarrassed by his son's behaviour and was at least eventually trying, but totally failing, to catch the beagle.

And that is before I get onto the dogs with very deliberate and unpleasantly bullying "play" styles that their owners cannot see any problems with and actively encourage

Deleted. Double post